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Statue of St. George and the Dragon 



VIENNA 



AND THE VIENNESE 



BY 

MARIA HORNOR LANSDALE 



ILLUSTRATED 



PHILADELPHIA 

HENRY T. COATES & CO. 

1902 



THE LISf 

CONGRESS, 
Two C 

CLASS ^XXr «o 



COPTBIGHT, 

HENRY T. 01 >ATE8 A CO. 

1902. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



TO FACE PAGE 

Statue of St. George and the Dragon, . . . Frontispiece. 

Interior of Cathedral Church of St. Stephan, . . 14 

The Hoher Markt, 24 

The Stock Exchange, 40 

Votif Kirche, 44 

The Parliament Houses, 58 

The Museum of Natural History, . . 74 

The Imperial Opera House, 92 

The Schwarzenberg Palace, 100 

Emperor Francis Joseph, 114 

The Prater, 134 

Cathedral Church of St. Stephan, 176 

Elizabeth Brucke, 188 

Tbe Arsenal, 206 

The University, 220 

Interior of the Belvedere, 232 

v 



vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

to face page 

Monument of Empress Maria Theresa, 240 

Josefs Platz and Statue of Emperor Joseph IE, . . 250 
Gateway of the Hofburg on the Michaeler Platz, . 278 

Empress Elizabeth, 284 

Monument of Archduciie>< Maria Christina, .... 296 

The Karls Kirche, 310 

Beethoven Monument, 

Statue of Schubert, 

The Prater Stern, 



VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 



CHAPTER I. 



The Arrival— Formalities of Fifty Years Ago — Destruction of the 
Fortifications— Modern Improvements— The Old Town— Char- 
acter of the People— Comparatively Small Proportion of Ger- 
mans — Other Nationalities — A Portrait of the Emperor Joseph 
II. — The Stephans Platz— The Commissionnaires— The Graben — 
Photographers' Windows — The Jewish Quarter — Wealth and 
Influence of the Jews. 



In these days there is no more trouble about getting 
into Vienna than there is about getting into Pekin. 
You are asked to produce neither papers nor passport, 
and the secrets of your baggage are respected. The 
Linien wall has fallen, there are no more gates at which, 
even as late as the year 1890, you were required to 
pay the sum of four kreuzers (less than two cents) to a 
uniformed tax collector for wear and tear on the street 
paving. Beyond this toll, however, even then you had 
no further concern with the authorities. 

Fifty years ago all this was very different. At that 
time — about the middle of the nineteenth century — 



2 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

one would have supposed the Austrian capital to be 
situated in the kingdom of the elect, so difficult was it 
of access. Permission to enter could be obtained only 
as a special act of grace, and must be accompanied by 
letters of introduction to saints in good standing. 
Besides this, some " well-known personage n had to be 
found willing to answer for one throughout the term 
of his sojourn, a precaution that did not at all deter 
the police from dogging the stranger's footsteps, keep- 
ing a strict watch upon all intercourse he might hold 
with the citizens, and tampering with his mail. 

One had, to be sure, the satisfaction of knowing that 
all the foreign ambassadors were subjected to a super- 
vision if anything more severe and irritating. On one 
occasion a certain English ambassador, who was some- 
thing of a wag, aware that all his letters passed 
through the cabinet noir, conceived the idea of making 
a very slight alteration in his seal. The change passed 
unobserved, and his letters continued to reach their 
destination bearing the old seal. Encountering M. de 
Metternich at a reception one day, he said to him care- 
lessly, "Oh, by the way, Prince, you might mention to 
your people that we have altered our seal at the Em- 
bassy ) they seem not to have noticed it." "Dunce-!" 
muttered the Prince, between his teeth, and marched 
off without another word. 

The day finally came, however, when Francis Joseph 
gave his people a constitution, and Vienna, throwing 
off the fetters of the middle ages, suddenly emerged 



MODERN IMPROVEMENTS. 3 

into the wide freedom of modern times. The transi- 
tion was sudden, and it took the ancient monarchy a 
long time to recover from the shock. Fancy a ship, 
constructed solely to ride at anchor in a protected 
harbor, suddenly finding herself in mid-ocean, assailed 
by winds from all four quarters at once. Yet such 
was very much the position in which Austria was 
placed almost without preparation. 

These political changes were promptly taken ad- 
vantage of by the city of Vienna to improve her 
material condition. The fortifications that for so 
long had imprisoned her w T ere overthrown; on the 
sites but lately occupied by frowning battlements 
or yawning moats, extensive boulevards appeared. 
Charming gardens were laid out; and magnificent 
buildings, reached by flights of marble stairs, their 
facades glittering with frescoes and gilding, arose as 
if by magic ; for in Vienna everything, modern as 
well as ancient, is on a grand and imposing scale. No 
capital in Europe, indeed, has undergone such startling 
architectural changes in so short a space of time. In 
1858 this city, which has occupied the same site since 
the beginning of the Christian era, was still inclosed 
by walls and moats, and confined within the same re- 
stricted area that had been deemed only sufficient for 
its needs in the thirteenth century. Suburbs had, of 
course, grown up in the course of the centuries, but 
these were separated from the city proper by fields 
and meadows. Within the walls the overcrowding was 



4 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

very great. But small space could be spared for high- 
ways, and the narrow streets and tortuous lanes, twist- 
ing in and out among the lofty, fortress-like palaces 
of the nobles, were plunged in perpetual shadow. 

It was very picturesque, this mediaeval town, pre- 
served almost intact to our own day, but it was also 
very uncomfortable. The Glacis-Gruende, as the sys- 
tem of ramparts and moats was called, was, to be sure, 
provided at intervals with stone gateways and bridges 
leading to the open, sun-lit fields beyond ; but the 
populace preferred, for the most part, to repair for air 
and exercise to the summits of the wide walls them- 
selves, which thus became a popular resort, serving in 
lieu of the public gardens, which the restricted area of 
the town was unable to afford. 

The fortifications which served this peaceful purpose 
probably followed the line traced out by Otakar, Kin.: 
of Bohemia, who fortified Vienna in l°.7o. in antici- 
pation of an attack by Rudolph, the founder of the 
House of Habsburg. As time went on and the outer 
defences, or Linien wall and Graben, were constructed, 
it might have been supposed that those ancient walls 
had fulfilled their destiny, and had no further work to 
do beyond that of quietly crumbling into oblivion ; 
but such was not the case: they had still a conspicuous 
mission to perform. 

" Architecturally," says one observer, writing- in the 
year 1884, ! "Vienna has had a great opportunity, and 
1 Letter to The Nation. 



KING STEEET. 5 

has made the most of it. This opportunity lay in 
finding space 1 for grand buildings just where it was 
most desirable for them to stand, and that, after the 
city had become large enough to need them. It was 
then discovered that the greatest curse of Vienna 
might be turned into its greatest blessing. The high 
wall was tumbled down into the deep ditch, and thus 
a fair foundation was laid for the edifices demanded 
exactly on that inner ring, by the State, the city, and all 
industrial interests. The belt thus opportunely dis- 
covered was two miles long and about fifteen hundred 
feet wide. It was a relief to the inner town, so long 
laced in too tightly for breathing, and to the suburbs, so 
long vainly pressing toward the metropolitan centre. 
Ample room and verge enough being thus vouchsafed, 
such an array of majestic buildings, as I nowhere re- 
member in a consecutive series, straightway began to 
rise each side of a Ring street one hundred and fifty feet 
wide — wider than the Parisian boulevards or any other 
street of equal extent. . . . No sooner had the ram- 
parts fallen, and the value of the land thus thrown 
open become apparent, than the title to that inherit- 
ance began to be disputed. It was too rich a windfall 
not to be claimed by more than one heir. The State, 
the city, and the Imperial family, each said it was all 
their own; but the contending parties compromised, 
and each thus secured not only standing-room for the 

1 The ground formerly occupied by the Glacis-Gruende, leveled in 
accordance with a decree of the Emperor Francis Joseph in 1858. 



6 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

structures it needed, but a residue of land the sale of 
which to private parties materially helped to erect 
them. This new Vienna has breathed a new spirit 
alike into the city proper and the outlying suburbs ; 
everywhere are improvements that would never have 
been thought of but for the example of Ring Street. 
The changes are so great that an officer told me to-day 
that, coming home from ten years of garrison duty, he 
was at a loss to find the house he was born in. In 
forty-two years the population has doubled." 

The " Ville " or city — the old and business part of 
Vienna — is like a dark island, well nigh engulfed in 
the white sea of the new suburbs. There is found 
the core and centre of mercantile, political and social 
life. The pick of the "modern improver" has 
spared, to a certain extent, those winding streets and 
tiny squares, crowded with ancient landmarks, and 
still instinct with the life and spirit of the old mon- 
archy. There, hidden away in the labyrinth of dark, 
picturesque streets, that turn and twist and cross and 
re-cross one another, may still be found towering, six- 
storied houses, with enormous arched doorways, 
flanked by massive caryatides. These transport one 
in spirit back two or three hundred years: their 
carved and ornamented tourelles, rising skyward like 
a forest of stone, soften the grim angles and lend the 
look of castles to these ancient walls, behind which 
feudal power and personal might were once so strongly 
entrenched. 



ARCHITECTURAL BEAUTIES. 7 

In order, however, to enjoy to the full these 
architectural beauties, one should make a tour of 
the city upon some fine moonlit night. Thread the 
captivating maze of those ancient streets, all of which 
appear to be playing at hide-and-seek, or flying hither 
and thither in a mad effort to escape from the wind ; 
note the romantic beauty of the scene, the exquisite 
effects and unexpected revelations that meet one at 
every turn. One-half of the town is plunged in a 
sea of black shadow ; the other is bathed in floods of 
light, limpid and silvery as the dawn, and under the 
influence of these alternate reflections of agate and 
opal the bearded faces of the caryatides seem to work 
with the contortions and grimaces of living creatures. 
One would say that those great naked bodies of fauns 
and satyrs were struggling to throw off their cases of 
masonry, and to join the nymphs who, like themselves 
but half free, can be seen starting out, with breasts 
thrown forward and writhing hips, from their stone 
prisons, like the nymphs of the old-time oaks of fable. 

In the brilliant light of the winter moon the pol- 
ished tiles of the Cathedral shine like the scales of 
a monster fish. On the Salzgries, in the neighbor- 
hood of the Danube Canal, a group of soldiers gaze 
dreamily up at the stars, as they smoke their pipes 
beneath the archway of a huge barrack. From 
thence some flights of stairs bring one out opposite 
the facade of the Church of Maria Stiegen, with its 
Gothic clock-tower and sculptured porch. The moon's 



8 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

reflections cast a shining mantle over those old stone 
saints, forever praying for the living and for the dead. 
Utterly alone in the deserted streets, which wind 
about like silver ribbons, a sensation of dreamy mel- 
ancholy gradually steals over the senses, and one 
lingers to gaze in silence over the city, sleeping 
beneath its silvery canopy, as though surrounded by 
the stillness and icy lifelessness of a cemetery. 

In Vienna one is confronted at every step with 
ancient institutions and ancient buildings, as well as 
with evidences of the solid foundations of that 1 lab- 
burg dynasty that has endured for over six centuries. 
The handsome shops, the procession of magnificent 
equipages, the animation and gaiety of the stn 
everything bears witness to the presence of a truly 
Imperial Court and of an aristocracy at once wealthy 
and distinguished, and which alone, perhaps, of all 
the societies of Europe ha- succeeded in preserving 
some of the characteristics of the age of chivalry. 
Vienna is a rallying point for races and for trade, and 
serves as the common meeting-place of all Germany 
and the countries of the East, Life is simply charm- 
ing among this frank, cordial people, who are never 
out of humor. Joseph Richter doubts "if they have 
a better time in Paradise ; true, it frequently happens 
that when Monday comes there is nothing to eat : but 
what does that signify, provided one has enjoyed him- 
self on Sunday?" It is indeed the land of "blue 
Mondays" and "green Thursdays." 



CHAEACTEK OF THE INHABITANTS. 9 

Immediately on arriving one begins to feel at home ; 
it is like falling in with friends of the good old time, 
who still know how to laugh, drink, talk and sing. 
Everywhere throughout the whole town you inhale 
the atmosphere, as it were, of a familiar house ; and 
everything is so paternal, so engaging, so open and 
friendly, that only a heart of bronze could fail to love 
the place. 

" If you cannot spend your life in Paris, then by 
all means spend it in Vienna," wrote Patin, an 
eminent Parisian doctor, in 1673. With its pleas- 
ant, simple customs and easy-going ways, its love of 
pleasure and its friendly attitude towards foreigners, 
Vienna is the Japan of Germany. And, like Paris, 
Vienna should be visited in the winter time ; it is 
never more itself than when enveloped in its furs and 
mantles. In summer the notabilities go off to their 
country places, and the middle classes scatter about 
among the neighboring resorts — Baden, Dobling, 
Weidling, or farther afield to Ischl, Gmunden, Aussee, 
and so forth, and the town is deserted. But from the 
first of October to the first of April the theatres are 
crowded, the violins set all Vienna in motion, and the 
whole place is under the spell of Strauss's fiddle-bow. 

It is asserted by German writers that Vienna is not 
a German city. " Overrun for centuries by Slavs, 
Magyars and Italians," they say, " Vienna has not a 
single drop of pure German blood left in her. Here, 
as at Prague, there is a Bohemian theatre ; you will 



10 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

find Italian opera, Hungarian and French singers, 
and Polish clubs. In a crowded omnibus it some- 
times happens that one cannot exchange a single word 
with any fellow-passenger, no one understanding Ger- 
man. In some of the cafes, Hungarian, Zech, Slav- 
onic, Polish and Italian newspapers are found, aud 
but one in German. If one has been but a short time 
in Vienna, he may himself still be a German of pure 
stock, but his wife will be Galician or Polish, his 
cook Bohemian, his children's nurse Dalmatian, his 
man a Servian, his coachman a Slav, his barber a 
yar, and hi- son's tutor a Frenchman. A majority 
of the Administration's employees are Zechs, and the 
Hungarians have most influence in the affairs of the 
government. Xo, Vienna is not a German city!" 

A recent estimate of the relative proportion of the 
German and other nationalities in Austria gives 
and a half million-, out of a total population of about 
forty-two millions, as German. "Of the remainder, 
seven and a half millions are Magyars, two and 
three-quarters Roumanians, half a million Italians, 
and twenty and a half millions are Slav- — Poles, 
Czechs, Serb-, Slovens, Slovaks. Croat-, Ruthen- 
ians, Dalmatians, Istrians, Bosnians. Of the above 
total, fourteen and three-quarter million Slav.-, 
and a half million Germans, and the rive hundred 
thousand Italians make up the population o^l Austria ; 
while rive million Slavs, two and three-quarter million 
Roumanians, two million Germans and -even and a 



THE WOMEN OF VIENNA. H 

half million Magyars are in Hungary. To these 
must be added the eight hundred thousand Slavs of 
Bosnia and Herzegovina, who, with those enumerated 
above, although diversified in dialect as much as, and 
in religion even more than, the different Latin races 
of Europe, are nevertheless united by a vague, though 
widely prevalent faith in a common origin and na- 
tional destiny." L 

Observe attentively the passers-by on a Vienna 
street. Out of a hundred of those whom you meet, 
twenty perhaps will have German features. Among 
the women the difference is even more striking ; they 
have the vivacity of the Slavonic races ; they are well 
formed, slender, nervous ; their feet are pretty, with 
well-arched insteps, altogether unlike the Bavarian 
goose-foot, or the elephant pad of the Prussian. 
Their hair is superb, and their teeth even and as 
white as milk ; some of them have dull complexions, 
like the Parisians, but others have skin as clear and 
fresh as an English woman's, or again the brilliant, 
dark hue of the Italian. The women of Vienna are, 
moreover, endowed with a temperament, and it is in 
this particular, more than in any other, that the con- 
trast is most marked between them and their lym- 
phatic, impassive sisters of Germany, whose lives are 
passed in the atmosphere of a kitchen garden. 

Of the Viennese architecture Mme. de Stael re- 

1 Article by " An Eastern Diplomat," in Harper's 3Iagazine for 
March, 1898. 



12 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

marks that, except for some Gothic buildings recalling 
mediaeval times, there is nothing that reminds one of 
other parts of Germany. In the inner city one comes 
across little streets as tortuous, and also as dirty, as 
the obscure Venetian calk, which they resemble. The 
stone Christs iu the courtyards, and the statu 
saints that one sees on the stairways, likewise recall 
Italy ; and there was even, until comparatively lately, 
a portrait of the Emperor Joseph II., depicted as 
Saint Joseph, surmounting a doorway in the Graben. 
It is said that one of this Emperor's favorite ministers 
had bought a house, and, anxious t<> give public 
expression to his gratitude for the many favors heap d 
upon him by his master, could hit upon no more suhV 
able device than to hang a portrait of the Emperor 
over his doorway. lie had. however, reckoned with- 
out the police, who promptly reported the matter to 
the Emperor. The minister was summoned. 

"You know perfectly well," -aid Joseph, "that it 
is forbidden to employ the Emperor's portrait for a 
sign." 

" But, sire," protested the horrified minister, "this 
is no sign, unless indeed it be in sign of homage — ven- 
eration. I placed yon there over my door to repre- 
sent my protector, my guardian angel, my patron 
saint—" 

"We will, it' yon please, leave the saints otit of the 
question. I am out o^ touch with the entire celestial 
hierarchy." 



A PORTRAIT OF EMPEROR JOSEPH II. 13 

" I merely meant," continued the minister, " to tes- 
tify in some public way my gratitude to you." 

"The sentiment appeals to me; but I cannot allow 
people to post me up like that on the fronts of their 
houses, unless possibly — " added the Emperor, but did 
not finish his sentence. 

" Speak, sire, I implore you — speak," said the 
minister. 

" Well, then, although I must confess that I do not 
feel the smallest vocation for filling the role of such a 
saintly personage, if you can find an artist who will 
undertake to change me into a Saint Joseph, I will 
allow the picture to remain." 

Off went the minister, enchanted with his success, 
and on the following day a skillful brush converted 
the flowing white wig of Joseph II. into locks of 
glossy black, the imperial robe became a long tunic, 
such as was worn by the Jews, and the sceptre blos- 
somed into a fleur-de-lis. Finally, to guard against 
any possible mistake, beneath the picture were in- 
scribed the words, " To Saint Joseph." 

There are a number of buildings in Vienna dating 
from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. In the 
fifteenth century architecture took there a remarkable 
flight, and the Cathedral of St. Stephan soared far 
above those of either Strasburg or Cologne ; its spires 
may be seen from the most distant points of the hori- 
zon — to remain for all time a common ral lying-point 
for all the peoples and races that go to make up the 



14 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

monarchy. It is of vital importance that a nation 
should have a flag ; whether it be of silk or of stone 
is of less moment — it stands for country. 

The Stephans Platz is the heart of the city ; there 
is the central station for the various omnibus lines 
which communicate with nineteen different districts ; 
there are the banking houses, the leading tailors' 
establishments, the headquarters of the licensed Coni- 
missionnaires (Dienstmamier) — a service, by the way, 
of the greatest use. The charge is extremely low, 
and the employees are obliged to show their tariffs 
on demand. They are dressed in a distinctive uni- 
form ; a metal badge, fastened on the left breast, dis- 
plays the number, which is repeated on the facing 
the coat; and on their red leather caps are small metal 
badges, on which is engraved the word Diensbman* 

These men are employed for every sort of work — 
to bottle wine, clear out pipes, clip dogs, beat carpets, 
pack trunks; above all, to carry letters and packages. 
A Viennese lady out on a shopping tour may be - 
closely followed by a Commissionnaire, whom she 
loads like a pack-mule. As a rule the men employed 
are both reliable and intelligent, and one can confide 
the most delicate matters to them without risk, and 
set them to follow up the most obscure -cents. There 
are sixteen hundred Commis.-ionnaires in Vienna 
alone. 

From the Stephans Platz it is but a step to the 
Graben — the Graben, whose broadside of shops arouses 



Interior of Cathedral Church of St. Stephan 



THE GKABEX. 15 

every dormant sense of covetousness, appeals to 
every taste, and can satisfy the caprices of the most 
fastidious ; the Graben, with its cafes dores, provided 
with red velvet couches, but whose patrons swarm 
over the sidewalks in summer time, protected by quan- 
tities of coquettish little awnings ; the Graben, always 
crowded with promenaders, both men and women — 
the Boulevard des Italiens of Vienna. There the 
fashionable world and all strangers assemble in the 
morning, and again in the evening. During the 
afternoon every one drives in the Prater or on 
the Ring Strasse. Here — on the Graben — from ten 
a.m. to mid-day, and from six to nine p.m., there is a 
constant coming and going — a rush and palpitation of 
life, the demi monde especially turning out in force. 

Among the Graben's chief attractions are the photo- 
graph and engraving shops, before whose windows 
crowds are always collected, workwomen and me- 
chanics elbowing fashionable dames ; soldiers, bakers' 
apprentices and cobblers' boys push in between young 
diplomats and old bankers, and strangers come to 
town on business or pleasure. Among all the attrac- 
tions displayed, the most popular are the photographs 
of that charming corps, the Viennese actresses, almost 
as unpretendingly attired as was Eve before the fall, or 
Venus when she rose from the waves. Nor is it alone 
the favorites of the stage who here rendezvous, and 
transfix one's heart Avith their coquettish glances ; all 
those ladies of the aristocracy, whether married or sin- 



16 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

gle, whose beauty entitles them to the distinction, com- 
pete in this way for public favor; their photographs 
sell at the same rates as those of the comediennes and 
ballet dancers. Xo one seems to see any impropriety 
in this custom, and the photographers reap the benefit. 

Sixty or seventy years ago, however, this was not 
the case, for an English traveler of that day regrets 
that " it is not possible here, as with us, to enter a 
print shop and obtain an excellent portrait of any lady 
of distinction, whose countenance has particularly 
captivated your fancy. ... I confess I regret that I 
cannot carry away with me a select portfolio of 
female head-." 

In a place like Vienna, where lounging i- such an 
interesting and agreeable occupation, how one comes 
to regret the universal sameness in manners and ens- 
toms that is rapidly killing out the last ves ges 
individuality in even the most remote countries. One 
never meets now on the Graben a Hungarian wearing 
his boots, his embroidered dolman, his plait of hair; 
a Pole, with his circular-cut hair and short redii e 
a Wallachian, with his braided breeches; a Serbian, 
with his little jacket and a dagger thrust in his belt 
Only the Turks and the Galician Jews still wear their 
national dress. If. however, on leaving the Graben, 
you will cross the Hoher-Markt into tl. 
you will think that you have strayed into a Carpathian 
village. In Vienna these picturesque ethnographic 
surprises still occasionally break the universal common- 



THE JEWISH QUARTER. 17 

place sameness of modern life. The morning is the 
time to visit the Judengasse, for it is between the 
hours of nine and eleven that those old houses, dark 
and sinister as the dens of wild beasts, pour forth 
their streams of unwashed, uncombed inhabitants, 
clad in long, black, greasy surtouts and high hats. 
They have pointed beards and pale blue eyes, their large 
flat ears are half hidden beneath long side locks which 
fall from either temple and frame their thin, pallid 
faces. Forming in compact groups, all these old clothes 
dealers begin to ply their trade, selling and reselling, 
bargaining, beating down, counting, speculating, with 
many gesticulations and much jabbering of Israelitish 
patois and shaking off of fleas. There are those 
whose flexible fingers grasp ear-rings, watch-chains, 
strings of coral ; one might easily mistake them for 
raiders of the fifteenth century, just back from the 
pillage of a castle. Here one holds out a pair of old 
shoes, torn and down at the heels, while he clasps to 
his bosom a battered clock or a worn-out coffee-mill ; 
another has flung a pair of convict's breeches across 
his shoulders, stained, frayed, worn — a mere heart- 
rending bunch of rags — while from the gaping pocket 
of his foxy surtout the head of a Dresden shepherdess 
or court beauty peeps mournfully out, as though from 
a prison window. 

Yonder a small, yellow-haired Jew displays, with 
an air of triumph, a pair of the daintiest Turkish 
slippers imaginable, each one a solid mass of pearls 
2 



18 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

and spangles and embroidery. He shakes them mis- 
chievously under the very noses of his elders, who 
smile indulgently in their long beards. What fairy 
or goddess once encased her pretty feet in these charm- 
ing slippers, which, with their foundation of blue vel- 
vet, suggest the sabots of the Virgin ? From whence 
did they come? What journey, or rather what ship- 
wreck, could it have been that ended in casting them 
into the dirty paws of this Jew broker '! What a 
pretty tale might be written under the title, " Travels 
and Confessions of a Pair of Slipper- !" 

This street of the Jews has preserved much of the 
forbidding aspect of a ghetto of bygone days ; it is 
dark, dirty, gloomy. The houses arc Leprous colored, 
and the window-panes are covered with a gray, sticky, 
ooze-like slime. The shops resemble caves \ to enter 
them, you must push your way through garland- of 
old shoes, mangy furs, tattered silk dresses, all sorts 
of filthy rags, mixed indiscriminately with perfectly 
new liveries, long cloaks of the kind worn by priests, 
and military uniforms. These strange shops are the 
sewers into which filter all the various form- of 
wretchedness of a great city ; they are the burial- 
ground of all luxuries, receptacle- of crime and of 
virtue — the final end of vanity. And yet. even here, 
there sometimes appears in the half light of a door- 
way the radiant face of a young ffirl, a dark-skinned 
Rebecca, with the dazzling teeth and great aqua- 
marine colored eves of the Orient. 



THE JEWISH QUARTER. 19 

At certain hours of the afternoon the whole neigh- 
borhood is as dead as though placed under an ever- 
lasting curse ; no sound of labor, no more cheerful 
bustle of trade — all those spiders now go about the 
business of spinning their webs in utter silence. Even 
the children have ceased their games and deserted the 
street ; only here and there one sees some poor, pale, 
little creature, coughing painfully and showing the 
effects of the damp, unhealthy atmosphere. 

The interiors of the houses are unspeakably squalid. 
As one ascends the stair the rickety banister sticks 
to one's fingers, and the walls on either side ooze. 
Entering a small, dark room, the ceiling is covered 
with soot, the furniture is crowded close together. On 
a crooked chest of drawers are ranged some old cups, 
and on a shelf near by a few pewter vessels. Behind 
the porcelain stove sits an old man, glassy-eyed, 
doubled up, muttering to himself. Hearing a strange 
voice, he painfully raises his head and blinks. 

" Ah/' he says, " it is you, Rebb-Katz. I am glad 
— very glad, indeed. . . . Think of it ! Yerouchou- 
lam has been rebuilt in spite of all the prophecies of 
the gois (Christians). We are to start to-morrow, are 
we not, Rebb ? The face of the whole world is going 
to be different now ; those who had no country are to 
find one again at last. As for me, Rebb, I want to 
live near Solomon's Temple. . . . Ah, in a fine new 
city the Meschiach might well come. . . . What re- 
joicings, Rebb ! We will eat a lamb !" 



20 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

" Pay no attention to him," whispers his wife. 
" He is so old that he has become quite childish." 

And the quavering voice continues to mutter : 

" Oh, Yerouchoulam \" 

" Ah, old man/' one might reply, " Jerusalem has 
indeed been rebuilt ; but you do not have to cross the 
seas to find her. The new Jerusalem rises on the 
shores of the Danube. You are in the promised land 
of Israel here." 

Who have built all those great palaces, which have 
placed Vienna on a pinnacle above every city in the 
world? The Jews. Who owns the Austrian press? 
The Jews. In whose hands are the funds of the mon- 
archy? In those of the Jews. 

" Vienna," run- a sentence in the Guide Humor- 
isteque, published during the Exposition — " Vienna 
has 18,398 banking houses, two of which are con- 
trolled by Christians." 

Among the patrons of the Jewish money-lenders 
may be found the Polish, Hungarian and Galician 
nobility. Do you happen t<> want thirty thousand 
florins? Nothing is easier ; there is no hurry at all 
about returning the loan, only you will kindly sign 
notes for the sum of fifty thousand. 

In this way was brought about the ruin of a cer- 
tain prince, who had formerly been so rich that on the 
occasion of the coronation of Alexander II. he had 
caused handfuls of gold to be scattered on the street-. 
They seized everything, even his gala dress, the 



INFLUENCE OF THE JEWS. 21 

diamond buttons of which were afterwards sold in 
London. 

The Vienna Bourse is quite as beautiful as Solo- 
mon's Temple. The Leopoldstadt is inhabited by 
forty thousand Jews. Half of the total number of 
scholars educated at the Academic Gymnasium are 
Jews. At the very popular College of the Bene- 
dictine Fathers, where, some thirty years ago, not a 
single Jew was to be found, they now number a large 
proportion of the students. At the School of Com- 
merce more than half the scholars are Jews ; and in 
other schools it is the same story, many Jews from the 
provinces being sent to Vienna to be educated. The 
majority of both doctors and lawyers are Jews, and 
there is no profession that does not number them 
among its members. There are, in short, more Jews 
in Austria than in any other country of Europe, Rus- 
sia alone excepted. In the large cities, such as Vienna, 
Budapest and Prague, they assimilate with the mass of 
the population, and are only distinguished by their 
religion ; but in the small towns and country dis- 
tricts, especially in Hungary and Galicia, they pre- 
serve their national dress and language — a sort of 
German jargon — and publish books and newspapers 
in Hebrew. 

The Jewish family is often more moral than the 
Christian. With them the primitive law of parental 
authority and filial obedience has been preserved in- 
tact, and for the most part they present the simple 



22 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

and impressive picture of the patriarchal home-life 
of the Bible. 

The emancipation of the Jew was not fully con- 
summated until the year 1856. In 1849 no Jew was 
allowed to spend a night in Vienna without a police 
permit, which, moreover, he was obliged to renew every 
fifteen days. In 1425 a rumor was circulated in 
Vienna that a certain old Jew, named Israel, had 
obtained possession of a consecrated wafer, which he 
had made use of in a sacrilegious performance, gotto n 
up to parody the office of the Mass. 1 The excitement 
caused by this tale was so intense that the Emperor 
Albert 11. proceeded to shut up all the Jews in the 
country. Some of the unfortunate- submitted to bap- 
tism, in order to save their lives ; others hung them- 
selves, or opened a vein, while in their cells. On the 
12th of March a hundred of them were burned, and 
hardly were the flames extinguished when the poorer 
University student- began to grope among the ashes 
for any gold pieces which the wretched creatures 
might have concealed about their persons. All their 
property was c ►nfiscated. 

"How the times have changed !" observed a Vien- 
nese, one day, after furnishing these detail-. " N 
it is the Jews who confiscate our belongi gs 

1 This is the same story that lui> been circulated in all countries 
and iu all ages as a preliminary to a Jewish persecution. It 

ablv always unfounded. 



CHAPTER II. 

The Hoher-Markt— Christmas Eve — Vindobona — The Hof— Civic 
Arsenal — Pius VI. in Vienna — The Emperor Joseph's Eeforms 
— Revolution of 1848 — Murder of Count Latour — The Wipplin- 
ger Strasse— Old Rathhaus— Church of Maria Stiegen. 

The Hoher-Markt, or Upper Market, from which 
the Jews' quarter is entered, is an open square, filled 
with stalls. An effort was made in Vienna, as in 
Berlin, to erect a central market, but without success. 
The retail dealers go every morning to the market- 
houses, near the Wien, to lay in supplies for the day, 
carrying their purchases away in little carts drawn 
by dogs. 

In the Hoher-Markt are to be found a complete 
assortment of vegetables, fruits, fish, game and pig's- 
meat, though the choice of vegetables is naturally 
somewhat restricted in a city where cauliflowers are 
sold on the Graben, side by side with lemons and 
oranges. Pears and apples, on the contrary, are to be 
had in great abundance ; they are brought down from 
upper Austria on rafts, heaped up in great pyramids. 
Game also is very cheap ; it is not at all unusual for 
as many as ten thousand hares and three or four 
hundred pheasants to be killed in a single hunt. The 

23 



24 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE 

Bohemian pheasant, in particular, is very highly es- 
teemed. Xapoleon III. used to have five hundred of 
them sent to Paris every year for his Tuileries dinners. 
In the Viennese markets are to be found the 
usual supply of viragos, whose flow of invective 
is the wonder and enw of all the less hi^rhlv 
gifted. Joseph II. one day overturned a basket 
of eggs belonging to one of them, for the pure plea- 
sure of hearing her expend her rich vocabulary. 
The time to visit the Hoher-Markt, ho 
stmas Eve. A forest lias suddenly grown up 
there in a single night — a : - 3 marvelous as that 
of a fairy-tale, illustrated by Dore. Ribl 

entwine the fir tree- like a tropical bindw 
blue. red. yell L It looks as 1 

eian had waved hi.- hand over a rain 1 turned it 

into myriad- of serpents. Gil led nut- sparkle among 
-fruit on 1 - At 

night, when the whole - i- lit up. t'.. 

-till more fantastic. The ground, covered with snow, 
and tlu- wooden - ged streets under- 

neath the dark fir I - a placethech 

- . The crowd presses 
to the gaily-d >ths, lit up like so many altar-, 

and loaded with gilded drui a s; horses obits 

- [ueak when you punch them in the £ 

y rabbi:- - ut in 

furbe] = s in _ - . N a's arks, 

swords, and all those thousand-and-one varieties 



The Hoher Markt 



i 




THE HOF— THE CIVIC ARSENAL. 25 

toys that the approach of Christmas casts up like a 
rising tide on the thresholds of the shops. 

In proportion as the crowd increases, the forest 
grows less ; long files of Commissionnaires shoulder the 
fir trees and disappear into the surrounding darkness, 
like the giants of northern fables, until at last the 
whole wonderful scene has melted away like a dream. 

A Latin inscription on the facade of Baron Sina's 
palace, on the corner of the Marcus Aurelius Strasse, 
states that it occupies the site of the Roman Praefco- 
rium, and that the Markt Platz was the Forum of the 
Roman city of Vindobona, where, as every one knows, 
the Emperor Marcus Aurelius died. The Platz is 
ornamented with a horrible monument, in the most 
rococo style, loaded with ornament, turned, and 
twisted like a madrigal done in stone; it is dedicated 
to the Virgin, but the Cupid-like cherubs who frolic 
and turn somersaults in the marble clouds, are more 
suggestive of a confectioner's decorations for a wed- 
ding breakfast than of anything to do with the Queen 
of Heaven. Xot far away is the Hof, one of the 
largest and finest squares of the city. In the centre 
rises another ugly column, shaped like a cup and ball, 
a copy of those in the Hoher-Markt and Graben. 
The building which rises on the left, massive and solid 
as a fortress, is the Civic Arsenal, owned by the city. 
The valuable collection of fifteenth and sixteenth cen- 
tury arms and armor, formerly kept here, has now been 
moved to the new Rathhaus. Almost directly opposite 



26 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

the Arsenal, at the other end of the Hof, rises the 
palace of the Papal Xuncio. From its balcony, which 
overlooks the square, Pius VI. gave the Pa} al bene- 
diction to the people on the occasion of his fruitless 
visit to Vienna in 1782. 

Joseph II. found himself seriously impeded in his 
tremendous scheme of reform by the intolerance, 
wealth and superstition of the Church. He accord- 
ingly determined to sweep these away at a blow. 
Edict followed edict — freedom <»t" tic press, freedom 
<•!' religious belief and worship, freedom of the Aus- 
trian Church from all obligation t<> Rome, save in 
strictly spiritual matter-. These and similar enact- 
ments reduced the clergy and the country at larg 
state of breathless stupefaction, and a careful report of 
every measure was -cut. by the Emperor's order, t<» the 
Vatican. Tope Pin- VI. -aw hi- Austrian revenues 
dwindling and disappearing before hi- very eyes, while 
in his ears was the sound of mourning raised by thirty- 
six thousand inmates of religious houses, which the 
Emperor had suppressed with a single stroke of the pen. 
Vigorous remonstrances were presented through the 
Papal Nuncio at Vienna, and when these had no effect, 
the Pope, who believed that his Romans had nol e 
him the title of II Pers § for nothing, determined 
to himself go to Vienna and wring concessions from its 
mad Emperor. He would come in person, he -aid, to 
reason as a lather with his son : and he added thai he 
would lodge with his Nuncio. Joseph replied that he 



THE WAR OFFICE. 27 

considered it a mark of the greatest benevolence, on 
the part of the Pope, to take this long journey solely 
to see him ; that it would not canse him to alter his 
policy by so much as a hairVbreadth, and that he could 
not think of permitting him to stay anywhere but in 
his own Hof burg ; and then proceeded to have every 
entrance but one to the said Hof burg walled up, so 
that his guest would not be able to hold secret inter- 
views with any one during his stay. The Cardinal 
Archbishop of Vienna, a brilliant and influential aris- 
tocrat, had, in fact, to pay a heavy fine and leave the 
capital for conducting an " illegal correspondence " 
with the Pope during this visit. 

Pius was greeted throughout his journey from the 
frontier with the most gratifying exhibitions of venera- 
tion and loyalty, but when he was met by the Emperor 
on the outskirts of the city, the latter, instead of kneel- 
ing and kissing the slipper, embraced his Holiness 
affably as an equal. The visit was entirely fruitless, 
and its only result was a loss of prestige for the Holy 
See. Frederick the Great was heard to remark after- 
wards that he might after all have come to believe in 
the infallibility of the Pope — "but — but that journey 
to Vienna ! " 

On the left of the Hof is the War Office, and 
directly opposite it stood the lamp-post, which played 
so conspicuous a part in the horrible drama enacted 
there on October 6th, 1848. During the night word 
had been brought to the War Minister, Theodor 



28 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Count Baillet Yon Latour, that the Richter battalion 
of Grenadiers, under orders to proceed to Hungary 
the next morning, had fraternized with the suburban 
National Guards, and had promised, with the latter's 
support, and that of the students of the Academic 
Legion, to refuse to march. Orders were issued looking 
to the suppression of the threatened revolt, and at an 
early hour on the morning of the 6th all the Ministers, 
as well as a number of Generals and other officers of 
high rank, had assembled in the War Office. News of 
tumults at the Tabor bridge, and of the death of 
General Bredy, was quickly followed by reports of 
risings in other parts of the city. In every direction bar- 
ricades were being thrown up; sonic Civic National 
Guards, who had sought to prevent the mounting by 
the student- of two cannons from the Arsenal, had 
been forced, after an interchange of shots in which some 
lives had been lost, into St. Stephen'- Church, when 
the struggle had continued to the very steps of the 
altar. The crowd in the Hofplatz was increasing every 
moment, and by three in the afternoon it was deemed 
prudent to close the main gate, placing the one cannon 
in the inner courtyard so as to lace it, with a guard of 
some two hundred grenadiers, cannoniers and mem- 
bers of the Civic Cavalry to defend it. Their ord - 
were, in case the gate should be forced, t<> discharge 
the cannon and then to hold back the assailants at the 
points of their bayonets. Had this programme been 
carried out, the subsequent tragedy might have been 



THE MURDER OF COUNT LATOUR. 29 

averted ; but, unfortunately, at four o'clock, when the 
fall of the gate was momentarily expected, the War 
Minister suddenly resolved to throw it open and admit 
the mob, apparently hoping by this unexpected move to 
check the fighting, and to win the besiegers' confidence 
long enough for a parley. The result was most disas- 
trous; the mob poured in; the grenadiers, whose pre- 
vious orders had been hurriedly changed to a command 
not to fire, were thrown into confusion and disorder, 
and in a short time the insurgents, many of them 
drank, and all crazy with excitement, had taken pos- 
session of all but the upper part of the building, and 
were actively engaged in destroying or plundering 
everything they could lay hands on, and searching 
through all the papers they could find in the hope of 
discovering proofs of Count Latour's treason. An in- 
tercepted correspondence between Jellachich, the Croa- 
tian General, and Count Latour had been printed and 
widely circulated in Hungary. From this it had ap- 
peared that the real object of the advance of the 
Croatian army was to support the Emperor's advisers 
in resisting the demands of the Diet and the people. 
Supplies famished by the Minister of War were 
acknowledged, and plans for dissolving the Academic 
Legion, reorganizing the National Guard, and de- 
claring Vienna to be in a state of siege were ex- 
posed. It was these revelations, capped by the 
attempt to remove the German battalion of 
Grenadiers, always friendly to the Viennese peo- 



30 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

pie, that aroused the popular resentment against 
La tour. 

The War Minister now dismissed the Generals and 
other Ministers who had been conferring with him, and 
they all succeeded in effecting their escape. His own 
attempt to reach the loft of a neighboring church having 
failed, he hid in a small, dark room at the top of the 
building. In the meantime the mob had grown more 
violent ; cries of "Death to Latouf !" could be heard 
rising above the tumult. Some officers of the National 
Guard, who had accompanied the insurgents, now tried 
vainly to hold them in check. "You think we are 
imt going to avenge ourselves?" yelled one frantic voice. 
" How about my father, who has just been killed?" 
"And my brother?" howled another. "And my 
mother?" came from still a third. "Death to Latour! 
Death to the traitor!" shrieked the whole n . 
furious, savage throng. 

First Vice-President Smolka, who had been - 
from the Diet to protect the War Minister, in order 
to gain time now circulated a report that the latter 
was no longer in the building; then, seeing that 
sooner or later he was sure to be discovered, and 
that each fresh delay only served to infuriate the 
crowd still more, Smolka mounted hurriedly to the 
fourth floor and begged Latour to give out his 
resignation. 

''It is your sole chance, Excellency," he said. 

Latour, without answering a word, reached for a 



THE MURDER OF COUNT LATOUR. 31 

sheet of paper, and wrote the following lines : " I am 
ready, with his Majesty's approval, to send in my 
resignation as Minister of War.'' 

" Excellency," urged Smolka, after reading the 
paper, " you had much better make no allusion to the 
Emperor. It will only serve to stir up fresh griev- 
ances. In your place, I should simply announce my 
resignation." 

" I will not alter a ward that I have written," said 
Latour, coldly. 

Whereupon Smolka folded the sheet and went out. 
" Latour has resigned !" he began to call out, at the 
top of his voice, as soon as he reached the lower 
floors, where the insurgents were still immersed in 
their patriotic work of hacking the furniture to pieces. 

" Kead the paper aloud !" called out a number of 
voices, interrupted by cries of " Then he is up there, 
after all," from a group of tipsy workingmen, who 
had rolled up their sleeves, as though they were 
butchers. 

Smolka found himself obliged to read the resig- 
nation aloud ; but hardly had the words " with his 
Majesty's approval " passed his lips, when his voice 
was drowned by savage howls. 

" Where is he hiding ? Where is he ? We want 
to see the Minister. . . . We want to talk to Latour," 
came from all sides. 

" It is out of the question for all of you to come," 
cried Smolka. " Let twenty of you follow me ; but 



32 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

first you will have to swear that Latour's life is to be 
spared." 

"Very well," said some of the National Guard. 
"We promise that he shall have a hearing before a 
council of war." 

Smolka thereupon led the way to the upper story, 
followed by twenty insurgents, who had been de- 
tailed from the crowd. On reaching the room 
where he had left the Minister, however, he found 
it fastened. Just at this moment the mob poured up 
by another stair and overflowed into all the corridors 
of the fourth floor, yelling : 

" Make him come out ! AVe want Latour !" 

Suddenly a door opened, and the Minister appeared 
before them. 

" Here I am/' he said. " You say you wish to 
take charge of me yourselves, and accordingly I con- 
fide myself to your protection." 

They at once forced him to descend, amid storms 
of imprecations. His appearance in the courtyard, 
where the patriots were drinking and feasting, was the 
signal for such a savage outburst that he blanched and 
trembled. It was plain to be seen that the lust of 
blood had risen to the brains of the crowd and mad- 
dened them. 

" Oh !" cried a workman, close by, with a loud burst 
of laughter, " you are scared, are you ? Here, this 
may revive you !" And he spat in his face. 

" I have faced bullets many a time without flinch- 



THE MURDER OF COUNT LA TOUR. 33 

ing," Latour was heard to murmur. " Rather a bullet 
than this !" 

"You will have your wish immediately/' said the 
man, raising his gun and taking aim ; but as he was 
drunk he missed fire. 

The smell of the powder among those close at hand, 
and the sudden report of the gun, heard all over the 
courtyard, was all that was needed to tear away the 
last vestige of restraint. 

" Kill him ! kill him !" shouted a number of voices 
at once. 

The men surrounding the prisoner were dispersed 
with kicks and blows, 1 and a burly blacksmith, heavy- 
lipped, leaden -eyed, with a brutal expression and 
powerful muscles, still wearing his leather apron, 
deliberately raised his hammer and brought it down 
on the gray head of the unfortunate Minister. Almost 
at the same moment he was struck with an iron bar, 
and received thrusts from a sabre, a bayonet and an 
iron pike — the last was probably the blow that killed 
him. Latour fell heavily to the ground, bathed in 
blood, just as the clock of the War Office struck a 
quarter to four o'clock. The crowd pressed forward, 
striking and slashing the body, which still gave signs 
of life. With insensate rage, it was then raised for 
the people to see, and in response to yells of " Hang 

1 In the subsequent investigation it was shown that some at least 
oi these faithfully tried to protect the prisoner, and themselves re- 
ceived injuries. 
3 



34 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

him ! hang him !" a cord was tied around the neck 
and the body fastened to the grating of a window. 
The cord almost immediately broke, and its ghastly 
burden fell, only to meet with renewed indignities. 
The clothing was stripped off and torn to shreds, to 
be distributed as souvenirs, and the naked body, after 
being dragged by the feet out of the main gateway 
and across the Platz, was strung up to the iron bar of 
a lamp-post, and a number of the National Guards 
fired a volley at it. 

As nightfall drew on, the lights were lit and the 
assassins held high revel in the Platz, eating and 
drinking, singing and dancing, in the very shadow of 
the mangled, swinging corpse, some women of the 
streets even dipping their handkerchiefs in the pool 
of blood collected beneath it, and carrying them off 
triumphantly as ensigns. 1 At a late hour, when the 
Platz was finally deserted, a member of the Legion, 
who had remained on guard, bought a piece of muslin 
from a neighboring concierge and covered that hideous 
Thing which but a few hours before had been called 
Latour. Some time after midnight two or three of 
the National Guard of Penzing, in defiance of the 
remonstrances of one of the Academic Legion, took 
the body down and carried it to the Military Hospital. 

1 The verdict of the physicians who examined the body and testi- 
fied before the court states that the War Minister, Count Latour, 
was tortured to death, thirty-one of the forty-three wounds found on 
the body having been inflicted while he was still alive. 



THE OLD KATHHAUS. 35 

The investigation by the Imperial Royal court- 
martial into the murder of Count Latour brought out 
the fact that it had been deliberately planned, and 
announced some time before. In the "Aula," 1 in par- 
ticular, it had been spoken of openly ; one student 
had declared in a speech that the Diet had condemned 
the War Minister. Latour himself said on the morn- 
ing of the murder that he had received warnings from 
at least twenty different sources. In the confessions 
of some of those implicated it appeared that a certain 
sum of money had been promised to every one who 
should take a hand in the murder. This was to be 
paid in the Aula; and one of the assassins, Jurkovich 
by name, a member of the National Guard, was very 
bitter over the fact that he had failed to receive his 
pay — thirty guldens — saying that he was sure he 
deserved the same reward as " the man with the 
hammer." Ninety-nine persons were arrested and 
examined by the court, eleven of whom were found 
guilty and condemned — three to death, and the re- 
mainder to terms of imprisonment varying from eight 
to twenty years. 

From the scene of this tragic occurrence a short 
street, close to the Arsenal, leads to the Wipplinger 
Strasse, one of the longest and oldest thoroughfares 
in Vienna. No. 8 is the Old Rathhaus, now aban- 
doned, but worthy of a visit. The interior dates from 

1 Aula — a hall, a court. The general assembling place of the 
University students of Vienna. 



36 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

the fifteenth century, and the facade from the beginning 
of the eighteenth century. In the great council hall 
are some interesting frescoes and stained glass, and 
the Gothic courtyard has a fine fountain, ornamented 
with mythological figures — Perseus and Andromeda. 

In the next street, the Salvatorgasse, is the Bohe- 
mian Church of Maria Stiegen— Maria am Gestade, 
or, on the river bank. This church is a veritable 
jewel in stone, chased and cut, its exquisite open-work 
dome surmounting a fine fifteenth century heptagonal 
tower. It has some good old stained glass. 

An odd ceremony took place here in the year 1622, 
when two dwarfs, measuring respectively two and a 
half and two feet, were married, with every accom- 
paniment of pomp and circumstance. The pair were 
escorted through the streets bv fiftv dwarfs, graded 
according to their height, like the pipes of an organ. 
After the ceremony there was a grand banquet, given 
by the city of Vienna, the bridal couple being seated 
on gilded chairs, covered with velvet and placed be- 
neath a canopy. The celebration concluded with a 
number of toasts to the Emperor and others, proposed 
by the diminutive master of ceremonies. avIio had to 
be hoisted up on the table for the purpose. 



CHAPTER III. 

The Telegraph Office — Viennese Portiers — Schottenring — Stock 
Exchange — The Krach of 1873 — Ring Theatre Disaster — An 
Old Man's Curse — Yotif Kirche— Attempted Assassination of 
Emperor Francis Joseph — Franzensring— University — Viennese 
Latin Quarter — Eathhaus — Historical Museum — Arms and 
Armor — Marshal Loudon — Andreas Hofer — Mementoes of Bel- 
grade — Hofburg Theatre. 

On the left of the Wipplinger Strasse, as one goes 
towards the Ring Strasse, is the palatial building of 
the Central Telegraph Office. At the entrance one 
of those distinctively Viennese portiers may be seen, 
marching majestically back and forth, and arrayed as 
though about to take part in a comic opera. Every 
inch of these magnificent beings is covered with gold 
lace ; they wear cocked hats and carry long staves, sur- 
mounted by silver balls. These portiers represent the 
last vestige of the Spanish habits and customs intro- 
duced into Vienna by Charles VI. At that period 
every noble had a hundred or more persons attached 
to his establishment — negroes, huntsmen, pages, foot- 
men, a hairdresser, an apothecary, a secretary, and so 
on — and always one of these resplendent portiers, 
whose military hat and raised baton were worth in 
themselves a whole regiment of guards. 



38 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

The telegraph office is a model establishment. It 
does not deal with telegraphs alone, but forwards 
sealed letters destined for any point within the line of 
the suburbs, delivering them as expeditiously as tele- 
grams by means of a system of pneumatic tabes. The 
majority of the employees belong to the fair sex, 
among whom a Countess was at one time numbered — 
Madame the Countess of TTimpffen, the daughter of 
the Inspector General of Telegraphs, who, moreover, 
received a diploma from the Minister of Commerce. 

To those conservative persons who persist in think- 
ing that the telegraph has not been a benefit to 
humanity, and that the world got along just as well 
without it, the following anecdote is dedicated: 

A certain citizen of Munich went to Vienna at the 
time of the great Exposition, and, overjoyed at finding 
Bavarian beer so worthily represented, pledged his 
beloved compatriot so frequently and generously that 
he could not for the life of him recollect at what 
" Hotel Garni " he had put up ; and here is where 
the admirable usefulness of the telegraph comes in. 
Hastening to the office, he sends the following mes- 
sage to his other half: 

"Do tell me where I am stopping in this con- 
founded Vienna. My address for the moment is 
Brasserie Dreher, at the Exposition." 

And the faithful wife at once replies : 

"You are staying at No. 12 rue de la Porte-du- 
Paradis." 



THE STOCK AND FLOUR EXCHANGES. 39 

The part of the Ring Strasse into which the Wipp- 
linger Strasse leads is called the Schottenring. It is 
a business street — the Wall Street of Vienna — and 
its most conspicuous building is the Stock Exchange, 
standing on the left, about midway between the 
Franz-Josephsquai and the Franzensring. This stately 
building was begun in 1872, but was only completed five 
years later. The main hall, where most of the trans- 
actions are carried on, is lined with costly marbles, 
and divided into three aisles by ranges of red Doric 
columns. Owing to an annoying reverberation, 
hangings have been suspended above — a vain effort 
to deaden the infernal uproar of the coulissiers. 
Each stock-broker has his private office, where he 
can smoke and receive his friends, and a special room 
is put aside for the use of the financial reporters of 
the Vienna press, the Bourse bulletins being written 
up during the meetings. The Flour Exchange is in 
the basement, while the afternoon and evening sessions 
are conducted in and before a neighboring cafe. The 
horse-play of the members seems to be of the same 
character as that carried on in other Exchanges, the 
Tippen differing only in name from the same stale 
joke in other lands, its humor consisting in knock- 
ing off and battering to pieces the high hat of a 
brother member. 

It was in a provisional building close by, wdiose 
site is now occupied by a private residence, that the 
Krach (crash) of 1873 occurred. 



,40 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

" The French millions/' says Sacher-Masoch, in his 
Golden Calf, " were a cadeau-grec for poor Germany ; 
it was that gold which let loose in Berlin, in Vienna 
and in a hundred other German cities the fever of 
speculation, and carried one back to the days of Law.'' 
The rage for speculation invaded, in fact, all classes 
of society, and people completely lost their heads. 
Enormous fortunes were made and lost in a single day, 
and no scheme was too wild to find enthusiastic sup- 
porters ready to risk everything they possessed. 

Such an inflated condition of the monev market is 
always accompanied by a glittering show of prosperity, 
and never was Vienna the scene of wilder or more 
feverish gaiety than during the mouths preceding the 
disaster. When the crash came, it was sudden and 
overwhelming. In the space of twenty-four hours 
thirty stock companies failed, and some two hundred 
brokers became bankrupt. Several of these unfortu- 
nate brokers committed suicide on the premises of the 
Exchange, their bodies lying there unheeded by the 
frantic crowds, who rushed about calling for vengeance 
upon the Rothschilds and de Soheys, whom they ac- 
cused of having precipitated the crisis. Young Baron 
de Schey. having imprudently shown himself, was 
nearly killed, and when the tumult subsided, one of 
his employees was actually picked up in a dying con- 
dition. On the following J a y the building was de- 
serted, save for a squad of police, placed in charge of 
the premises. 



The Stock Exchange 



THE RING THEATRE DISASTER. 41 

It is noteworthy that the two most sensational disas- 
ters which have ever occurred in Vienna should have 
taken place within ten years of one another, and not 
two hundred paces apart. The ecclesiastical looking 
building that stands on the corner of the Hess^asse is 
the Siihnhaus, erected by the Emperor on the site of 
the Ring Theatre, burned down on the 9th of Decem- 
ber, 1881, with frightful loss of life. Contributions for 
the families of those who perished in the fire poured 
in from all parts of the world, especially from the 
United States, and the rents derived from the apart- 
ments in the Siihnhaus are likewise devoted to charity. 
Every year a memorial Mass is said on the anniversary, 
in the chapel on the ground floor. A circumstance 
which few remember links this disaster with the most 
critical and stormy period in the history of the capital, 
the revolution of 1848. A visitor writing from 
Vienna on the evening of December 11th, two days 
after the fire, relates the following occurrence : 

" A curious incident happened to me to-day as I was 
passing the spot. I saw an old man, with a white beard, 
constantly trying to break the ranks of the soldiers 
and police before the theatre. I heard him call out, 
'I knew my curse would some day be fufilled.' This 
he repeated constantly. I followed him through the 
en »wd, and asked hi in why he said this. He exclaimed, 
1 Don't you know that this very spot, now a great 
grave, was the scene where, in 1848, nine revolu- 
tionary martyrs were shot ? My son, amongst them, 



42 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

stood where now we stand. On the spot where later 
the theatre was there was a ditch before the barracks, 
and earth- walls, called the Glacis, now the Ring Strasse. 
There I stood, while my son, in the ditch, with eight 
others, was shot by the soldiers. Many other people 
were shot. Some time later, during the assault on 
Vienna, I saw some falling and cursed the spot, and 
knew I should not die before my curse was fulfilled.' 
On leaving him I inquired further. I find his story 
was true. There really was a spot before the barracks 
where many were shot and hanged, and it was thought 
by many when the Square and Ring Theatre were first 
built that the spot was unlucky:" 

" This is my hour; it lias come, it has come ; and at last I can say 
Vengeance is mine for the hell, for the horrible hell of that day ; 
The balance has swung to my hand; I am paid for the travail of 

years. 
This is my hour; I have lived for it, watched for it, sought it with 

tears." 

On the right, directly opposite the opening of the 
Sehottengasse, is the triangular Maximilian Platz, 
facing which, and elevated above the surrounding 
level, so as to be seen to the best advantage, stands 
what is considered by some the most splendid Gothic 
structure of the eighteenth century. The corner-stone, 
brought from the Mount of Olives, was laid in 1856 
by the unfortunate Archduke Ferdinand Max, later 
Emperor of Mexico, for whom the Platz is named. 
The architect was Heinrieh von Ferstel. 



WOUNDING OF EMPEROR FRANZ JOSEPH. 43 
They are now erecting on the Glacis a Gothic 



church, which will really be a very beautiful building. 
... It is practically a copy of Cologne Cathedral on 
a small scale, being two hundred and ninety-five feet 
in length externally, with a nave ninety-four feet wide 
internally; and inside the transept is one hundred and 
sixty feet from wall to wall; so it is really a first-class 
church, so far as dimensions go. Its details are all de- 
signed with elegance, and executed with care ; so that, 
when completed, it will probably be the best modern 
reproduction of the style of Cologne Cathedral. The 
poetry and abandon of the older examples will be 
wanting ; but, after the completion of one or two such 
buildings, we shall be saved from the monstrosities of 
that strange style which the Germans have recently 
been in the habit of assuming was Gothic." l 

"On February 18th, 1853, while Franz Joseph was 
walking on the old fortifications of the inner town of 
Vienna, a Hungarian, of the name of Joseph Libenyi, 
threw himself upon the young monarch and plunged 
a long dagger into the back of his neck. Fortunately 
the stiff military collar of the Emperor's coat some- 
what paralyzed the violence of the stroke, but it was, 
nevertheless, a most dangerous wound, and Count 
O'Donnel, who was then aide-de-camp to the Emperor, 
and who had accompanied him on that morning, fear- 
ing that the weapon might have been poisoned, cour- 
ageously sucked the wound. The Emperor, who had 

1 James Ferguson, A History of Architecture. 



44 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

until that moment remained upright, and entreated the 
crowd which had immediately gathered, not to hurt 
his would-be assassin, fell fainting to the ground." 1 

The church, which was not completed until 1879, 
was built to commemorate the Emperor's escape from 
this attempted assassination. 

At this point the Ring Strasse makes a sharp bend 
to the left, and takes the name of Franzensring, and 
immediately beyond the broad Universities Strasse 
rises the imposing new University. The date usually 
given for the founding of the University of Vienna 
is 1365. Rudolph IV., with his brothers Leopold the 
Just and Albert, it is stated, signed the act on the 
1 2th. of March of that year. Jean Pezzl, in the fifth 
edition of his New Description of Vienna, states that 
it was the Emperor Frederick II., stupor mundi 
Fridericus, who founded it in 1237, Duke Rudolph, 
and twenty years later his nephew, Albert, having 
merely added to it. 

At all events, there is no doubt as to the Uni- 
versity having had a continuous existence for nearly 
five and a half centuries. In 1662 it was given over 
to the Jesuits by the Emperor Ferdinand II., but by 
the middle of the next century it had fallen into such 
decay that a complete reorganization was found neces- 
sary. Gerard van Swieten, an eminent man and phy- 
sician to the Court, accordingly prepared, in conjunc- 
tion with Professor Rieger, a new plan of studies. 

1 The Martyrdom of an Empress. 



Votif Kirche 



THE UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA. 45 

Maria Theresa approved the plan and erected new 
buildings (on the Universitats Platz, now used by the 
Academy of Sciences), and the University was re- 
opened on April 5, 1756. The schools of Medicine 
and Surgery were on the ground floor; those of Law, 
Theology, Philosophy and the political sciences on 
the second ; while the third was a well-equipped 
observatory, with all the instruments and charts neces- 
sary for the study of astronomy. 

A decree of the Emperor Joseph in 1784 ordered 
all the studies to be conducted in German, with the 
exception of Dogmatic Theology and Ecclesiastical 
Law. Three years later the same ruler decreed that 
a small annual tuition fee should be paid for all 
except the theological courses, the money to be ap- 
plied for the benefit of poor students distinguished 
for their industry or ability. 

L T nder Leopold II. the University of Vienna was 
admitted among the Estates of Lower Austria, its 
rector having a seat in the House of Prelates. The 
present building on the Ring Strasse was begun in 
1873, its architect, Ferstel, dying in 1883, before it 
was completed. 

" The manifold practical necessities of a great school 
absolutely prescribed the division of his [Ferstel's] 
structure into various masses. Therefore he was 
obliged to desert the early Renaissance in favor of 
that i high Renaissance ' style which allows the archi- 
tect to treat his facades with much more diversity. 



VIENNA ANB THE VIENNESE 

Fersfcel hi - . le his ~:mcture into four pa:~- — 

r: -.:. " "".:. :~: si: .-:: :::-. 

and a : ie — an to each of these he has 

i Ln . i ;:ri_: :: its >wn. All : m 

- i :->. however, hi a nni: boldly- 

united y projecting corner 

fch into an )igani wh 

1 is fori 1 isis L upon y 
the h: : U the : all the 

Is. 
•• The richest and most I the ex- 

_. In 
. " . I r of its great lengl 

the cen- 

tral portion oi ned it with . fty 

\rd roof. The lavish u~ a sters in th 

-. ..-■-- 

of deeo- 
g ives t his fi stal : vrhich 

imme 

assem - : the Univers _ -nped 

e Aula, p g : is a m - 

s ipported by thir: 
Lumns. In the tw gs 

3, tog :i:er with 
lass-] as nd minor apartm - totality 

aS . g mmodati :" us 

... The pog of the build! _ - 

wholh library. It is a huge hall, 



THE UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA. 

which rises through the entire height : the building, 

without external windows, and divided from the other 
us ::' th .. - :: " [I. 

.:.::._:.:- 
tion is also shown by the interioi 

: iron gratings. 1 hese gratings : rm 
ii -v /.... -.«:::>.. y :: :. : - 

ease?. _ ~" .. r : -...:' : ::.:..: :i v " --.;.. ;-. 

The two reading-rooms aeeommo hundred 

renty desks. 
"But the University uilding - - its trne 
. -.;:;■• n.y ' "". .-.. "". ' : - :h _.. : - :::r :-- :~- I 
:::: :: arcaded quadrangle, 

is unequaled in all the domain of modern arehitec- 
tiire. It measures two hundred and : : 

one hundred and fifty in breadth; forty-six 

bold arches lead ire::: it ::.: the wide, encircling 

;1 ist :. -. lebouch th 1 suj : I: is 

wholly unorname::: - Junius which 

its : st rieSj the three orders bein^ su - 

cording the B man : shion. 

suits wholly from the nobilil 

the remarkable feeling for s[ 

which _ encil of signer. It is 

leted by the three-branched 
and : -branched one for general use. 

equally ha] py is the arrang .e subor 

trcases ssages. 1 

. an imp: - .id beautiful | ive unrolls 



48 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

itself — and this is in architecture the surest sign of a 
talent which does not work by the careful addition of 
detail to detail, but creatively conceiving its result at 
once and as a whole." l 

"By favor of the American Consul I was among 
the invited guests at the dedication [of the Uni- 
versity], less than a week ago. The ceremony was 
simple and brief, and chiefly of interest as marking 
the beginning of the second half-thousand years in 
the life of the institution, and as showing an Emperor 
— yes, ' His Apostolic Majesty ' — delighting to honor 
higher culture. 

"The monarch, received at the door by the Aca- 
demical Senate, was escorted to their hall, not large, 
and densely packed. He took a chair in front of a 
table on a low platform" and listened to a fifteen- 
minutes' speech from the rector, standing on the floor 
before him. After a few historical sketches, he was 
thanked for his granting the ground for the building 
to stand on, thirty years before, and aiding in its con- 
struction at least half as long. In reply, the Emperor 
stood up and read a speech of fourteen lines, rejoicing 
in the completion of a work which he had always had 
at heart, and trusting that multitudes would make full 
proof of the institution, and learn there alike science 
and patriotism. He was greeted with a student song 
and a triple shout of * Hoch !' Then several persons 
prominent in building the pile were presented to him 
1 Siegmund Feldmaun, in Die Gegenwart. 



KATHHAUS PARK— THE RATHHAUS. 49 

as he walked about, and all was over. His dress was 
the ordinary Austrian uniform, with no ornaments 
save the medals and chains of certain orders. This 
uniform, a tight fit, with short skirts, is decidedly 
unbecoming. An American w r ould call it a ' bob- 
tailed blue/ " l 

The district lying to the west, and called Josefstaclt, 
is the Latin Quarter of Vienna, its lodging-houses and 
cafes swarming with students of all nationalities and 
speaking every known language. 

Adjoining the University is the Rathhaus Park, over- 
looking which rises the great Gothic Rathhaus, or 
Town Hall. 

"This is an enormous building, enclosing seven 
courtyards, with open arcades on its ground floor, an 
imposing loggia, which rises through two stories, and 
a tower, which is only exceeded in height by the spire 
of St. Stephen's Church. It is a splendid bulwark of 
self-conscious civic power, and its evidence establishes 
Friedrich Schmidt in the first place among contempo- 
rary Gothic builders, a place which had been accorded 
to him, indeed, ever since the death of Yiollet-le- 
Duc. . . . When he set himself to build a Gothic 
Town Hall, he saw very clearly that old examples 
would give him no help on the practical side of his 
problem. In the Middle Ages people gave plenty of 
space to no one but the Creator ; themselves they were 
content to crowd into narrow, little, low-ceiled apart- 

1 Letter to The Nation, November 13, 1884. 
4 



50 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

ments, which modern needs and habits have vastly 
outgrown. . . . Schmidt resolutely seized upon the 
Renaissance type of the palace architecture of the 
sixteenth century, and in its spirit constructed the 
skeleton of his building. While the ornamentation, 
the variable play of form, and, in a word, the whole 
artistic development, speaks of Gothic art, gables and 
canopies and pinnacles accent the silhouette of the 
structure; pointed arches connect the columns and 
appear in the facade, and the broad windows of the 
projecting bay show the characteristic tracery ; but 
the supports and framework of the structure — all that 
really raises and binds it together — acts entirely in 
the spirit of Renaissance construction. This organic 
intermingling of two contradictory styles stamps the 
work of Schmidt as a true achievement. In it cer- 
tainly does speak the ' spirit of modern times,' for 
the artist has cast into a novel shape antiquated forms, 
bequeathed to us by conditions of life that no longer 
exist ; and in solving this problem he has surely won 
himself a lasting fame." x 

Schmidt's own account of his work was that, while 
he could not say precisely to what style it belonged, 
it was an expression of the modem sjiirit. 

On the summit of the high central tower stands the 

Eisemer Mann, a halberdier holding a weathercock. 

A bas-relief portrait of the Emperor surmounts the 

main entrance. The corner-stone was laid in 1873, 

1 Siegiuuud Feldmauu, in Die Gegenwart. 



THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM. 51 

and the work was completed ten years later, on the 
two hundredth anniversary of the deliverance of 
Vienna from the Turks. 

The Rathhaus is the official residence of the Mayor, 
and in addition to its court-rooms, coimcil, assembly 
and reception halls, and other apartments for the con- 
duct of municipal affairs, it contains the Historical 
Museum and the interesting collection of arms and 
armor, brought hither from the Civic Arsenal on the 
Platz am Hof. 1 

This famous collection includes broadswords, espa- 
dons, halberds and boar-spears, arranged in great 
trophies of bluish steel. Bucklers of every style hang 
from the walls, like the carapaces of monster tortoises. 
Here, too, are preserved articles of historical interest, 
such as the hat of Marshal Loudon, who was of 
Scottish descent, and was one of the most brilliant 
and renowned officers in Maria Theresa's army. He 
contributed largely to the victory won by the Austri- 
ans over Frederick of Prussia at Hochkirchen, in 
1758. And here we see the mountain-staff of Andreas 
Hofer. By the humiliating Peace of Schonbrunn 
(October 14, 1809), Austria had been obliged to yield 
her territory right and left. Already, by the Peace 
of Presburg (1805), the Tyrol had been ceded to 
Bavaria. It was now again given up and evacuated 
by the Austrian army. The Tyrolese, however, be- 
long to that class of persons who do not know when 
1 See page 25. 



52 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

they are beaten, and under their peasant leader, 
Andreas Holer, they continued the struggle alone, 
until, driven from one position after another, they 
finally were obliged to yield. Andreas Hofer was 
tried by court-martial at Mantua and shot (February 
20, 1810). 

" It is not necessary to blindfold me," said the 
peasant patriot to the officer in command, " nor to 
make me kneel down. I am Andreas Hofer, the inn- 
keeper of the Sable. I am standing before my 
Creator, and it is on foot that I wish to yield up my 
soul. Soldiers, fire ! M 

The arms and flags captured from the Turks are 
arranged in enormous trophies. Among them is the 
green standard, taken near Belgrade by Field-Marshal 
Loudon, on which are represented the sun, moon 
and stars, the hand of Mahomet, and several verses 
from the Koran. On a great blood-red banner is in- 
scribed, "La ildha ilia alldhu, Muhdmmed rasul alld- 
chi :" God alone is God, and Mahomet is his prophet. 
Cimiters, with huge curved blades, Kandjars, Kurd 
lances, janizary drums and turbans abound in this 
part of the collection, turning the place into the sem- 
blance of a temple, filled with opiraa spolia. 

Under glass is preserved a ghastly trophy, the skull 
of the Turkish General Kara-Mustapha, together with 
his shirt — the one in which he died — and the silken 
cord pointedly sent him by the Sultan after his defeat. 
When, in obedience to this hint, he had strangled him- 



THE HOFBURG THEATRE. 53 

self, the skin was stripped from his face and sent to 
Constantinople, to prove beyond any possibility of 
doubt that he was really dead. When Belgrade was 
taken, his body was found in a mosque, and Cardinal 
Kollenirz sent the head, the silken cord and the shirt 
to the Vienna Arsenal. That copper-colored skull, 
stuck on a peg, with the strangler's cord lying by it, 
has a really horrible effect. It seems to grimace still, 
as though in the last convulsions, while from the 
depths of those two black holes one can almost see 
the fierce glitter of the eyes, flashing with wrath and 
defiance. 

Facing the Rathhaus is the Renaissance Hofburg 
Theatre. The Burg Theatre has a continuous history 
of more than one hundred and fifty years. On the 
11th of March, 1741, an edict was issued directing 
Joseph Sellier, manager of the Karntner-Thor Thea- 
tre, to put up a stage in the " ball-house" of the 
Burg. Thirty-five years later, by a decree of the 
Emperor Joseph II., it became the German National 
Theatre. It was Joseph's policy to encourage and 
foster native talent in all its branches, and to this end 
it was provided that only the German tongue should 
be spoken on the boards of the Burg Theatre. By the 
Emperor's orders a plan was made out for the direc- 
tion of the affairs of the institution. The leading male 
and female actors met once a week to decide upon the 
plays to be given, and to assign the parts. Later on 
the Emperor placed the management in the hands of 



51 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

a single director (an office which has been maintained 
ever since), and gave the appointment to Friederich 
Ludwig Schroeder, to whose versatile talents and mar- 
velous ability the Burg Theatre owes, in large measure, 
its world-wide celebrity. 

The two principles which Schroeder laid down as 
being of vital importance, and which have been faith- 
fully adhered to by all his successors, were, first, the 
necessity for faultless elocution, and, second, the closest 
possible following of nature in dramatic representa- 
tion. The keen personal interest taken by the Em- 
peror in all that concerned the theatre also had much 
to do with its prosperous career. It is said that he 
never failed to say to visitors to his court, ""Well, and 
what do you think of my theatre?" 

A playbill, which has been preserved, of the early 
part of the nineteenth century tells us something of 
the manners and customs of the day. In a note, 
" Cavaliers are requested to give their chairs to such 
ladies as may be unprovided with seats, and to refrain 
from extinguishing the lights." 

About the year 1814 the name of "National Thea- 
tre" was replaced by "The Theatre that is near the 
Burs:." Until about fifteen years as;o the "best 
equipped company in Germany " continued to present 
a repertory which included not only all the leading 
plays of that country, but the masterpieces of dramatic 
literature of all lands, in the identical small, incon- 
venient buildino; which had served them for over a 



THE HOFBURG THEATRE. 55 

hundred years. They actually dreaded to remove 
from a spot grown famous by its brilliant traditions 
and almost unchecked career of prosperity, and it 
was not without misgivings that on the 14th of Octo- 
ber, 1888, they took up their quarters in the mag- 
nificent building, designed by Freiherr von Has- 
enauer, which faces the new Rathhaus on the Ring. 
Every invention of modern theatre construction 
has been employed to place this among the first 
theatres of the world. The arrangements for egress 
and ingress, the machinery for shifting the scenes, the 
great movable stage, entirely made of iron, the superb 
decorations, which cover every part of the house, make 
it one of the wonders of the capital ; while the stage 
setting is perfect to a degree not equaled by even the 
renowned Saxe-Meiningen troupe itself. 



CHAPTER IV. 

The Parliament Houses— The Architect Hansen— Arrangement of 
the Interior — Appearance of the House when in Session — Party- 
Divisions — System of Representation — Agrarianism — The Aus- 
gleich — A Memorable Sitting — Dr. Lecher's Twelve-Hour Speech 
— The Palace of Justice — Deutsche Volks Theatre — Imperial 
Museums — Picture Gallery — Armor — Industrial Art — Imperial 
Treasury — Benvenuto Cellini. 

Beyond the Rathhaus, and on the same side of the 
Ring Strasse, are the Houses of Parliament — Reichs- 
raths-Gebaude — built in the Greek style, and designed 
by the architect Hansen. 

" The Parliament House of Hansen seems like a 
solidified dream when it is compared with the effective 
reality of the University, so thoroughly infused with 
the very breath of modern life. . . . Inclination, train- 
ing and natural endowment have made Hansen the 
last survivor of the Periclean age. He has always 
professed the cult of ' pure form,' and in the Parlia- 
ment House, his ripest and richest work, all the tradi- 
tions of Attic soil spring and bloom once more. 

" A mighty flight of steps leads up to the building, 
which is surrounded by Corinthian columns of a shin- 
ing marble, resembling that of Paros. The three projec- 
tions of the principal front appear like temple facades, 

56 



THE PARLIAMENT HOUSES. 57 

crowned with gables. The caryatides which support 
the narrower fronts are taken directly from the Erec- 
theum. A beautifully designed palinette frieze runs 
beneath the dentils of the main cornice, and on the flat 
roof stands a very Olympus of figures in bronze and 
stone. 

"Yet, in spite of the diversity of its elements, 
the whole building, especially when it is seen from a 
proper distance, is impressive by reason of its noble 
lines, dominated by the portico of the main entrance ; 
of the monumental grandeur of its proportions, and 
of that pictorial grace which Hansen knows how to 
spread over all his works. . . . An imposing peristyle, 
surrounded by twenty-four monolithic marble columns, 
divides the building into two equal parts, one of which 
is occupied by the Upper, the other by the Lower 
House, while the apartments for the delegations, which 
include members of both Houses, form the continuation 
of the peristyle. 

"But Hansen must not alone be held responsible 
if we here perceive a certain incongruity between 
artistic success and practical convenience. On 
this point the artist had no models which he could 
consult. He stood before a virgin problem, the diffi- 
culty of which will only be understood by those who 
are acquainted with the complicated mechanism of 
parliamentary customs. Moreover, this problem was 
rendered still more difficult by the demand that both 
Houses should be united under a single roof. It was 



VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

thus impossible that the building should be central- 
ized. A parallel disposition was prescribed, which 
threatened to prove monotonous in the highest degree. 
Hansen has cleverly avoided this danger by the inter- 
polation of the above mentioned peristyle ; but, in 
comparison to the cramped dimensions of the other 
divisions, it absorbs an immense amount of space, and 
how useless it is we see from the fact that no better 
name has been found for it than that of 'I! ikmeshalle.' 
This "Hall of Fame," however, will indeed be such, in 
so far as its builder is concerned, for it is without 
doubt one of the most beautiful interiors of the world. 
We may set the narrowest possible limits for the use 
of Grecian architecture in modern times : we may 
bring up against it all sorts of theoretical objections ; 
but this result silences all doubt. 

" Especially important is the proof it gives of the 
praiseworthy audacity of Hansen in clothing an 
immense structure, destined for distinctively n: 
uses, wholly in the art forms of Greece. He 
not turn to his Hellenism merely for his superficial 
decoration ; lie grasps it also in its constructive ele- 
ments, which, as we know, are extremely scanty, and 
deny the architect many thing-. Yet. nevertheless, 
he has surmounted all difficulties and erected his 
mighty work in entire renunciation of the aid 01 
vaults and arches. . . . 

" Gilded capitals carry the entablatures, the orna- 
mentation of which is relieved, tenderly yet 



The Parliament Houses 



THE PARLIAMENT HOUSES. 59 

liantly, upon a deep-toned ground ; the walls are 
painted throughout in succo lustro, after the Pom- 
peiian manner; the marble quarries of every 
land have been robbed to furnish shafts, pavements 
and all accessories; and this intermingling of hues 
and shades, this splendor of gold and color, produces 
a magical effect. . . . There may be some ground for 
seeing in the Parliament House, as a whole, only an 
interesting experiment ; but by this one quality — by 
the manner in which its interior is finished — it is 
raised to high importance, and becomes one of the 
most conspicuous architectural sights of the century." l 

Hansen, it may be added, is of Danish extraction, 
and has had at least one opportunity to test the 
purity of his style on the very soil of Greece itself, 
having designed the University of Athens. 

A yellow and black flag flying from the roof of the 
Parliament Houses is the signal that Parliament is in 
session. 

" . . . Two chambers, almost exactly alike, sepa- 
rated by a stately vestibule, contain the Abgeordneten- 
haus and the Herrenhaus. ... In the Abgeordneten- 
haus two narrow galleries, like balconies in a theatre, 
admit a limited public, for whom there are, perhaps, 
two hundred seats, and as many more standing-places. 
For entrance you obtain tickets gratis of the concierge, 
and become entitled to a numbered seat. Crowding 
is furthermore restrained by a device at the outer 

1 Siegmund Feldmann, in Die Gefjenivurt. 



60 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

door which at once attracts the notice of a stranger. 
At the entrance, and extending through the great 
portal into the street, you observe a curious labyrinth 
of iron railings. If occasion demands, the short 
route may be barred off, and every person be made to 
turn sixteen times in single file before arriving at the 
door. Whether this ' crowd-compeller ' is to prevent 
attacks upon the House, or is simply for the con- 
venience of custodians, I did not learn; but if by 
chance factious citizens rushed upon the Parliament 
with rash intentions, there would be plenty of time 
here for cool reflection. 

" The seating capacity of the chamber is something 
under four hundred. . . . The Speaker, or rather the 
President of the Assembly, is flanked on either side 
by a first and second vice-president, who are almost 
continually in their places. At a slightly lower level 
stands a row of tables for secretaries and others ; 
but the one in the centre, immediately in front of 
the President, is reserved for the so-called JBerich- 
terstatter. From this tribune chairmen of committees 
in charge of bills make their reports, instead of from 
their seats. In front of all stands a semi-circle of 
desks for Ministers of State. 

" The general appearance of the members in session 
gives one a good impression of the intelligence and 
character of the assembly. The quorum necessary to 
conduct business, however, not being very high, and 
the duty of regular attendance apparently not weigh- 



PAKTY DIVISIONS IN AUSTRIA. 61 

ing heavily on their minds, one must study the dele- 
gates in sections, according to the questions in which 
they are interested. Some days since a member 
opened his speech to some fifty colleagues with the 
words, ' Honorable and totally empty house/ For a 
European assembly there would seem to be a great 
many young men, though youth is not a characteristic 
of the whole body. . . . 

" To one coming from Switzerland, it is a little 
startling to see priests on the floor of the House, 
dressed in the robes of their order, and wearing con- 
spicuous gold rosaries about their necks. In that 
republic, which suffered so much from Jesuits that 
it has since mistrusted all ecclesiastics in politics, 
no clerical can be elected to Parliament ; but at 
Vienna there are twenty in the House of Representa- 
tives alone, and to the Senate many high dignitaries 
of the Church belong by right. 

" The party divisions in Austria are almost bewil- 
dering. In the House of Representatives there are 
no less than sixteen party names, many of them 
derived from differences of nationality, others from 
political sentiment. ... In respect of policy there 
are . . . German Liberals, German Nationals, Ger- 
man Clericals, Feudal party, Middle party, and anti- 
Semites, if not other classifications. The largest 
single group, according to a recent list, is that of the 
German Liberals, numbering one hundred and nine. 
I am speaking, it is perhaps needless to remark, of the 



62 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

divisions in the Austrian kingdom, not in the Imperial 
Austro-Hungarian Parliament. . . . l 

" The system of representation in the House differs 
from that to which we are accustomed in America. 
The delegates represent not only certain territories, 
but also certain classes of interests. Of these class 
divisions, there are four — large landed property, 
cities, boards of trade, rural communities — that is to 
say, certain members are elected by groups of land- 
lords, others by chambers of commerce, city precincts 
and rural precincts. The attempt is thus made to 
balance the representation of interests before election 
rather than by numerical weight after election. The 
result at present is that landed property receives by 
far the strongest representation, and the effect is seen 
in the prominence given to agrarian legislation. 

"In contrast to the statement often made in America 
that the farmers are chiefly represented by lawyers, it 
may be noted that nearly one-half of the Austrian 
delegates are actual owners of land. 

" There is a continual increase in the number of 
teachers and professors elected — this also in many 
cases being an evidence of agrarianism, as professors 
in the agricultural schools are chosen to represent that 
class of interests. But the economists are also there, 

1 The Austro-Hungarian Parliament is made up of members of the 
Reichsrath (the Austrian or Cisleithan part of the monarchy), and 
the Reichstag (the Hungarian or Transleithan part of the monarchy |. 
Each Parliament is represented by twenty members from its upper 
and forty members from its lower House. 



ECONOMIC PEOBLEMS IX AUSTRIA. 63 

and, strange to say, one of the most active members 
and fluent speakers of the Liberal party is the emi- 
nent geologist, Professor Suess, of the University of 
Vienna. . . . 

" The economic problems which lie in the path of 
Austria were exhibited one day, quite incidentally, in 
a lecture by Professor Menger, at the University. . . . 
In the course of an historical sketch of the great 
commercial movements of Europe, the influence of 
geographical situation was brought forward, and the 
unfavorable position of Austria particularly empha- 
sized. . . . One hindrance to rapid advancement, 
according to his mind, was the easy-going, home-stay- 
ing disposition of the people, in contrast with the 
enterprise of the Englishman. In Vienna, for in- 
stance, if a proprietor of a cafe had three sons, every 
one stayed in the city and opened a new cafe, to com- 
pete with all the rest ; and all the bakers' sons became 
bakers on the old spot. 1 The speaker did not leave it 
doubtful that he thought it better for part of the 
population to emigrate." 2 

One of the most remarkable scenes that ever took 
place in any Parliament was enacted in the Austrian 
House on October 28, 1897. The Prime Minister, Count 
Badeni, had gotten a bill through making the Czech, 

J This is the more surprising when we consider the phenomenal 
success of the "Vienna Bakeries" established in America since the 
Centennial Exhibition. 

2 J. M. Vincent, in a letter to The Nation, November, 1891. 



64 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

instead of the German tongue, the official language 
of Bohemia. The German minority were indignant, 
and when, shortly afterwards, the Ausglelch 1 came 
before the House, they determined to obstruct its pas- 
sage till the Czech language bill should be repealed. 

The re-enactment of the Ausglelch was of vital 
importance to the Government, and the Opposition 
hopefully set to work to use every lawful obstruction- 
ist measure (and they are many) to delay its passage. 
All went merrily ; if they could but keep things going 
for a few weeks longer, victory would surely be theirs, 
for it was not supposable that the Government would 
let Hungary go merely to accommodate the Bohe- 
mians in the matter of language. 

2 " And now took place that memorable sitting of - 
the House which broke two records. It lasted the 
best part of two days and a night, surpassing by half 
an hour the longest sitting known to the world's pre- 
vious parliamentary history, and breaking the long- 
speech record with Dr. Lecher's twelve-hour effort — 
the longest flow of unbroken talk that ever came out 
of one mouth since the world began. 

"At 8.45, on the evening of the 28th of October, 
when the House had been sitting a few minutes short 
of ten hours, Dr. Lecher was granted the floor. . . . 

1 The Ausgleich is the name given to the agreement drawn up 
between Austria and Hungary in 1867. It must be parsed on afresh 
every ten years. 

2 "Stirring Times in Austria," by Mark Twain. Harper's Maga- 
zine for 1898. 



A MEMORABLE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT. 65 

The galleries are crowded on this particular evening, 
for word has gone about that the Ausglelch is before 
the House ; that the President, Bitter von Abraham- 
owicz, has been throttling the Rules ; that the Oppo- 
sition are in an inflammable state in consequence, and 
that the night session is likely to be of an exciting 
sort. 

u The gallery guests are fashionably dressed, and 
the finery of the women makes a bright and pretty 
show under the strong electric light. But down on 
the floor there is no costumery. 

" The deputies are dressed in day clothes, some of 
the clothes neat and trim, others not ; there may be 
three members in evening dress, but not more. There 
are several Catholic priests, in their long black gowns, 
and with crucifixes hanging from their necks. No 
member wears his hat. One may see, by these details, 
that the aspects are not those of an evening session of 
an English House of Commons, but rather those of a 
sitting of our House of Representatives. 

" In his high place sits the President, Abrahamo- 
wicz, object of the Opposition's limitless hatred. He is 
sunk back in the depths of his arm-chair, and has his 
chin down. He brings the ends of his spread fingers 
together in front of his breast and reflectively taps 
them together, with the air of one who would like to 
begin business, but must wait and be as patient as he 
can. . . . He looks tired, and maybe a trifle harassed. 
He is a gray-haired, long, slender man, with a color- 



66 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

less long face, which in repose suggests a death- 
mask. . . . 

" Presently the Chair delivered this utterance : 

" ' Dr. Lecher has the floor/ . . . 

" Yells from the Left [the Opposition], counter 
yells from the Eight [the Government majority], ex- 
plosions of yells from all sides at once, and all the air 
sawed and pawed and clawed and cloven by a writhing 
confusion of gesturing arms and hands. Out of the 
midst of this thunder and turmoil and tempest rose 
Dr. Lecher, serene and collected, and the providential 
length of him enabled his head to show out above it. 
He began his tw r elve-hour speech. At any rate, his 
lips could be seen to move, and that was evidence. 
On high sat the President, imploring order, with his 
long hands put together, as in prayer, and his lips 
visibly, but not hearably speaking. At intervals he 
grasped his bell, and swung it up and down with 
vigor, adding its keen clamor to the storm weltering 
there below. 

" For several hours the pandemonium continued. To 
stormy and repeated demands for the floor, in order 
to put motions, the President merely replied that Dr. 
Lecher had the floor. The Aasgleich was the Order 
of the Day, and it had been the Government's plan 
to rush it through, choke off debate, and get it re- 
ferred to a select committee. The President, there- 
fore, ignored the rules and declined to put the motions 
to adjourn. 



DR. LECHER'S TWELVE-HOUR SPEECH. 67 

" But into the Government's calculations had not 
entered the possibility of a single-barreled speech, 
which should occupy the entire time-limit of the sit- 
ting, and also get delivered in spite of all the noise. . . . 
In the English House an obstructionist has held the 
floor with Bible-readings and other outside matters; but 
Dr. Lecher could not have that restful and recuperative 
privilege ; he must confine himself strictly to the subject 
before the House. More than once, when the Presi- 
dent could not hear him because of the general 
tumult, he sent persons to listen and report as to 
whether the orator was speaking to the subject or not. 
The subject was a peculiarly difficult one, and it would 
have troubled any other deputy to stick to it three 
hours without exhausting his ammunition, because it 
required a vast and intimate knowledge — detailed and 
particularized knowledge — of the commercial, rail- 
roading, financial and international banking relations 
existing between two great sovereignties — Hungary 
and the Empire. But Dr. Lecher is President of the 
Board of Trade of his city of Briinn, and was master 
of the situation. His speech was not formally pre- 
pared. He had a few notes jotted down for his guid- 
ance; he had his facts in his head; his heart was in his 
work; and for twelve hours he stood there, undisturbed 
by the clamor around him, and with grace and ease and 
confidence poured out the riches of his mind in closely 
reasoned arguments, clothed in eloquent and faultless 
phrasing. . . . 



68 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

" There was but one way for Dr. Lecher to hold 
the floor — he must stay on his legs. If he should 
sit down to rest a moment, the floor would be taken 
from him by the enemy in the Chair. When he 
had been talking three or four hours, he himself 
proposed an adjournment, in order that he might get 
some rest from his wearing labors ; but he limited his 
motion with the condition that if it was lost he should 
be allowed to continue his speech, and if it carried he 
should have the floor at the next sitting. Wolf [the 
Opposition leader] was now appeased, and withdrew 
his own thousand times oifered motion, and Dr. 
Lecher's was voted upon — and lost. So he went on 
speaking. . . . 

" At a quarter to two a member of the Left de- 
manded that Dr. Lecher be allowed a rest, and said 
that the Chairman was ' heartless/ Dr. Lecher him- 
self asked for ten minutes. The Chair allowed him 
five. Before the time had run out Dr. Lecher was on 
his feet again. 

" The members of the Majority went out by de- 
tachments from time to time, and took naps upon 
sofas in the refreshment rooms, and also refreshed 
themselves with food and drink — in quantities Dearly 
unbelievable — but the Minority stayed loyally by their 
champion. Some distinguished deputies of the Ma- 
jority stayed by him, too, compelled thereto by admi- 
ration of his great performance. "When a man has 
been speaking eight hours, is it conceivable that he 



DR. LECHER'S TWELVE-HOUR SPEECH. 69 

can still be interesting — still fascinating ? When Dr. 
Lecher had been speaking eight hours, he was still 
compactly surrounded by friends who would not leave 
him, and by foes (of all parties) who could not, and 
all hung enchanted and wondering upon his words, 
and all testified their admiration with constant and 
cordial outbursts of applause. Surely this was a 
triumph without precedent in history. 

" During the twelve-hour effort, friends brought to 
the orator three glasses of wine, four cups of coffee 
and one glass of beer — a most stingy reinforcement 
of his wasting tissues ; but the hostile Chair would 
permit no addition to it. But no matter; the Chair 
could not beat that man. He was a garrison holding 
a fort, and was not to be starved out. 

" When he had been speaking eight hours his pulse 
was 72 ; when he had spoken twelve it was 100." 

Finally the words (revealing in themselves a quite 
unquenchable sense of humor), "I will now hasten to 
close my examination of the subject," announced that 
the end was near ; and a few minutes later, with the 
spirited utterance, " The Germans of Austria will 
neither surrender nor die !" the orator sat down. 

Wild and deafening were the storms of applause 
that followed ; the enthusiasm of the Left would 
hardly permit its plucky champion to go in search of 
the food and rest of which he stood in such sore need. 
At last, however, he managed to escape, but after a 
meal and a three hours' sleep, he was back in his 



70 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

place, prepared to sit out the remainder of that 
memorable sitting. 

Dr. Lecher's performance resulted in victory for 
the time being, and the Opposition was apparently 
making steady headway throughout all the wild and 
tumultuous sittings that followed, when one fine day 
the Prime Minister, Count Badeni, and the President 
hit upon the unfortunate expedient of introducing a 
squad of policemen on the floor of the House, and 
compelling the forcible ejection of the unruly obstruc- 
tionist deputies. 

The immediate result of this unprecedented act was 
to brins: down the Ministry with a crash, and the new 
Prime Minister staved off the impending crisis by 
getting passed a one year's prolongation of the 
Ausgleieh. 

Separated from the Houses of Parliament by the 
Schmerling Platz is the German Renaissance Palace 
of Justice, where the Supreme Court of the Empire 
holds its sittings, and, standing a little back on the 
Bellaria Strasse, is the Italian Renaissance Deutsche- 
Volks Theatre. 

Next in this wonderful series of buildings, all 
erected within the space of about fifty years, and 
which place the Ping Strasse in the foremost rank 
of European streets, are the vast Imperial Museums, 
twin buildings of the Italian Renaissance style, con- 
taining — one, the Natural History Museum, and the 
other the Art History Collections of the Imperial 



THE IMPEKIAL MUSEUMS. 71 

family, formerly scattered about in a variety of gal- 
leries and museums. 

The exteriors of these two buildings are exactly 
alike, even to the ornamental details. But in the in- 
terior of the Picture Gallery the eifect is marred by 
the over-ornamentation. Gilding, bright wall tints, 
aggressive magnificence and newness are not the sur- 
roundings that best set off old masterpieces of art, and 
these have been further dealt hardly with in the mat- 
ter of cleaning and " restoring." Moreover, one must 
patiently survey much that is quite worthless in this 
collection, in order not to miss the really valuable 
treasures which it contains. The great attraction lies 
in the Velasquez series of portraits, the examples of 
the Venetian school, and the Diirer, Van Dyck and 
Rembrandt pictures. 

One critic declares of the Viennese galleries in 
general that, " . . . everywhere, to an acre of 
rubbish, you may find perhaps a few feet of decent 
work ; everywhere a big, rather than a good, show 
is the ideal striven after. But what," he con- 
tinues, " can be expected of people who, though they 
brag of their capital as a great art centre, deliberately 
took the beautiful old glass from the windows of St. 
Stephen's Church to replace it with hideous memorials 
to some popular hero or popular event? I neither 
know nor care which. They may pride themselves on 
their gaudy, new picture gallery, but to the real lover 
of art it can have little attraction until its walls are 



72 viesxa asi the vtexxese 

: :..;-..:-." .::.:-..". — um:I z ::--::„- :-f :~_t 

- . and die remaining fifth filled with 
the canvases which alone deserve : have survive 
the generation that produced them. 55 

- liter furthers: re asserts :hat many of the 

pictures catalogued as being T:: I : retto, 

r Veronese, : sc me others of the great mask rs are 

spun — ictnres from which the master himself 

- .rank ic lisgosf 

Be all of this as it may 3 n entering :he rooms 

uing : specimens of industrial art 

and Im]> rial Tress lisa] must 

Fhese unique collections b rough: 

the Bel al and Hofburg. and are 

admirably ar: _ nd cat. - _ I he writer 

quote - bimsell - me enthusiasm in 

og them. 

"Fews _ ays sg 5 as the 

_ :iie public tL 

most pi ts j r els .nd price] 95 treasures - 

thei of arm can compel 

- loe and beauty with : - ne of 

As a nil : llectoi _ - scam] les I 

nd country, he is content, but here there 

is hardlv a suit, hardly a weapon, which did not be- 

famous i _ :nus adding a 

ich those who otherwise care little 

forth - illustrafx ann resisi Armor that 

- :; merits one might pc— i:a indifference, 



BEXYEXUTO CELLINI. 73 

one stops to look at with a suspicion of sentiment, 

when, for example, it happened to be the property of 
that Bourbon who fell beneath one of the phenomenal 
shots of Benvenuto Cellini — as recorded by himself. 1 
. . . And this personal interest asserts itself in the 
other departments as well. Here is the famous Cel- 
lini salt-cellar, made for Francis L. really less delight- 
ful in itself than in his naive description of its beauty 
and his own greatness f here the Albert Dfirer sketch- 

1 " I turned to Alessandro and said, ' Let us go home as soon as we 
can, for there is nothing to be done here ; you see the enemies are 
mounting, and our men are in flight.' Alessandro, in a panic, cried, 
1 Would God that we had never come here ! 5 and tamed in maddest 
haste to fly. I rock him up somewhat sharply with these words, 
1 Since you have brought me here, I must perform some action worthy 
of a man;' and directing my arquebus where I saw the thickest 
and most serried troop of fighting men, I aimed exactly a: one whom 
I remarked to be higher than the rest. . . . Then I turned to Ales- 
sandro and Cecchino, and bade them discharge their arquebuses, 
showing them how to avoid being hit by the besiegers. ... I dis- 
covered afterwards that one of our shots had killed the Constable de 
Bourbon ; and from what I subsequently learned, he was the man 
whom I had first noticed above the heads of the rest." — The Life of 
Benvenuto Cellini. Translation of John Addington Symonds. 

2 " After a minute description of the salt-cellar, Benvenuto Cellini, 
in his autobiography, says: 'When I exhibited this piece to his 
Majesty, he uttered a loud outcry of astonishment, and could not 
satiate his eyes with gazing at it. Then he bade me take it back 
to my house, saying he would tell me at the proper time what I 
should do with it. So I carried it home, and sent at once to invite 
several of my best friends. We dined gaily together, placing the 
salt-cellar in the middle of the table, and thus we were the first to 
use it.' " — The Life of Benvenuto Cellini. Translation of John 
Addington Svmonds. 



74 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

book, open at water-color drawings of figures designed 
by him for the triumph of Maximilian ; here the 
decorations worn by the Habsburgs of centuries." 

In short, the only fault to be found with these 
magnificent collections is that they are too superb, too 
overwhelming. A single visit leaves one with an im- 
pression only of dull despair; and really to see and 
enjoy their treasures one must go again and again. 



The Museum of Natural History 



CHAPTEE V. 

Maria Theresa Monument — Imperial Stables — Empress Elizabeth's 
Fondness for Horses — The Equestrienne Elisa — Ill-natured 
Gossip of the Viennese — The Empress's Mode of Life at Godolo 
— Imperial Equipages — Coronation Coach — Collection of Sleighs 
— Saddles — Weapons of the Chase — Hofgarten — Yolksgarten — 
Temple of Theseus— Ancient Flower Fete — The Albertina— 
Collections of Archduke Albert — Diirer Collection — Album of 
Jacques Collot's Sketches — Private Galleries — Prince Lobko- 
witz — His Downfall — Eccentricities — His Device for Getting 
the Streets Cleaned. 

In the Platz between the two museums stands the 
imposing bronze monument, erected in 1888, to Maria 
Theresa. Beyond the Platz, in the Hoffstall Strasse, 
are the Imperial stables, whose four hundred occu- 
pants are fed out of marble mangers, and treated with 
a solicitude and deference that many human beings 
might well envy. 

The basket-shaped racks are of polished steel, and 
each horse's name is inscribed on a metal plate. The 
grooms look like lackeys, and everything in these 
great stables shines and glistens like the fittings of a 
salon. Here were kept the twelve stallions, left by 
the Elector of Hesse, who died at Prague, to the 
Emperor of Austria, a clause in the legacy requiring 



YIEXXA AKD THE VIEXXESE 

that Lh . . b - : lie with them. When the 
Prosaans made their entry ini the ad DueL; the 
h and 1 it \_ ned on : the finest >rec 

si Is in - nany. had all the mares put : death. 
Eh -v in B-lc .: og aim Is had atsas an th - 
- _ - - - Sesh-coloi 

Formerly the stables : the Austrian Empei 
_:ained as many ~ six hundred horses 
igh this number had been red. 
: : re still remained gh to provide the 

Empress El :a with the eompanionshij she 

ferred f sfa 1 the 

: . i-air lii f her father's si . : i : . 

_ : art. H orites were the 

pure-: :. led S - ses :th their superb 

_ - : :..-.. s tb igh they 

a part of eaeh day in t st n sh 

Vienna. A: me tun - gaged the serv s 

nne called 
I : ice with her 1 sev d hours 

moroing in her private riding-sen 

Viennes - re in 

twisting I distorting every act f the E 

into son _ lor undigni- _ 

to tell one tother that her li - - fecting 

herself in II tb - ots : a circu- 

including jumping through hoops, and other acr 

Elis was presented with a horse, which used 



THE EMPRESS ELIZABETH. 77 

to figure on Reny's circus bills as " The Empress's 
horse." 

No professional rider, however, could surpass her 
Majesty in graceful or daring horsemanship. Espe- 
cially did she love a wild gallop in the open, and 
was never so entirely happy as when on some exciting 
chase, surrounded by the yelping pack, the cries of the 
huntsmen and the winding of the horns. She would 
sometimes mount bare-back, and was very fond of 
jumping, often taking leaps that were exceedingly dan- 
gerous. Her opinion of people was largely influenced 
by their skill in horsemanship. To those of her ladies- 
in-waiting who sat well, rode straight, and were imper- 
vious to physical fatigue, she was the most indulgent 
of mistresses ; but for any who fell short of these 
requirements she had but scant consideration. Her 
mode of life at Godolo is thus described by one of 
the ladies of her court : 

" Every morning she attended Mass as early as five 
o'clock, and, after drinking a cup of black coffee, 
without milk or sugar, she mounted her horse, and, 
accompanied by one of her ladies-in-waiting, galloped 
off through the magnificent park, which is traversed 
in every direction by broad, sandy avenues. Changing 
horses several times in the course of the morning, she 
would remain in the saddle until noon, when, after 
taking a cold bath, she would sit down with her lady 
to a simple luncheon, consisting of very rare steak, 
dry toast, and a glass of Montrose claret. Towards 



78 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

four o'clock her Majesty again went out riding, return- 
ing only just in time to dress for dinner." 

The Imperial equipages are kept above the stables, 
being raised and lowered by machinery, as they are re- 
quired. There is a large collection of state carriages, 
gilded and resplendent as so many suns. The coronation 
coach is carved and gilded all over, and enclosed by a 
single sheet of glass ; paintings by Rubens represent- 
ing Justice, Strength, and other attributes supposed to 
belong to the monarchical state, adorn the outside, the 
inside being finished in velvet and gold. On those 
rare and imposing occasions, Imperial coronations, this 
carriage is drawn by eight white horses, ten footmen, 
forty lackeys and eight " heiduques " marching at the 
sides. The driver and postilion are dressed in black 
and yellow velvet, and wear long plumes in their 
hats. At the Imperial coronations at Frankfort, the 
Swiss Guard, the Hereditary Marshal holding a sword 
aloft, and the mounted field-marshals preceded the 
carriage, and immediately behind it came the troop of 
Imperial pages, clad in floating robes of black velvet, 
braided with gold, the chiefs of the Imperial Guard, 
and the halberdiers in crimson tunics. 

The collection of sleighs is most interesting. Some 
of them are swan-shaped, while that which Maria 
Theresa used to drive herself is in the form of a large, 
gilded shell. Among the saddles is preserved that of 
the Emperor Maximilian, as well as his riding trou- 
sers of Siberian dog-skin; his leash, and his Mexican 



THE HOFGAKTEN AND VOLKSGAKTEN. 79 

hat. There is also the saddle of Kara Mustapha, its 
cloth embroidered with rubies and pearls, crescents 
and diamonds ; his golden spurs and silver-gilt stir- 
rups shining and glittering with Oriental splendor. 
The coronation harness is entirely composed of gold 
and velvet, with golden bells. 

Four rooms contain the weapons of the chase, 
dating some of them from the remotest days of the 
Habsburg dynasty, from lances used by the first 
Dukes for hunting wild boars and bears, down to the 
graceful guns which Maria Theresa carried on her 
shooting expeditions. On the walls of one of these 
rooms are some silver-mounted horns of the wild goat, 
presented by Victor Emmanuel. 

Opposite the Maria Theresa Monument is the 
Burgthor, and beyond it is the Hofgarten — the Jardin 
des Tuileries of Vienna. This is a favorite resort of 
the ladies in the spring and summer time. They 
promenade up and down the walks, listening to the 
music, and keeping an eye on their children at play. 
Another public garden, the Volksgarten, serves as a 
pendent to this, on the other side of the Burgthor. 
With its cool, shady paths, its elegantly appointed 
cafe and its Temple of Theseus, the garden of the 
people is a gay and lively neighbor for the grave 
Palace of Justice opposite. 

" In a fit of enthusiasm arising from the acquisition 
of the statue of Theseus by Canova, they, too [the 
Viennese], determined on having a Walhalla in which 



80 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

to enshrine their purchase, and forthwith commenced 
the erection of a copy of the so-called Temple of 
Theseus at Athens. Had they paused to investigate 
the matter a little, it would probably have been found 
that the temple they were copying was really dedi- 
cated to Mars, and that the shrine of their new god 
was of a different shape and style altogether. But 
the Viennese are not antiquarians, so this did not 
matter. Had they been architects, they would have 
known that to be seen to advantage the Grecian Doric 
order must be placed on a height, where it can be 
looked up to, and the Grecians, in consequence, always 
chose elevated sites for their temples. There are no 
hills in Vienna suited for this purpose ; but there 
were some grand old bastions which would have 
formed the noblest terraces for such a building, had 
the idea suggested itself to them. The next best 
place was the crest of the Glacis, where it could have 
been approached, though in a far less degree, on an 
ascending plane; but even this advantage was ne- 
glected, and they finally determined on erecting it at 
the bottom of the ditch !" x 

The Theseus does not, however, now occupy the 
temple built for it, but is placed at the top of tlic 
main stairway, and facing the central entrance, in the 
New Picture Gallerv. 

From earliest times the Viennese have had a great 
predilection for gardens ; they love flowers, trees, 

1 Ferguson, History of Architecture. 



AXCIEXT FLOWER FETE. 81 

birds ; not a bourgeois salon but has its flower-stand 
and bird-cage — geraniums and canaries. Unable to 
stock their public gardens with nightingales, they 
have musicians there instead, and every evening, from 
the first spring day mild enough to allow a bud to 
shoot or a coat to be thrown open, the Volksgarten 
and the Stadt Park are transformed into huge open- 
air concert halls where twice a week military bands 
perform, and Strauss, the " Schone Edi," King of the 
Waltz, reigns triumphant. 

It was from Vienna that Holland obtained her first 
tulips. Matthias Corvin, King of Hungary, who died 
at Vienna in 1490, wrote that " the entire territory 
of Vienna is like an enormous garden, surrounded by 
orchards and vineyards." In old times the appear- 
ance of the first violet was celebrated with much 
mirth and gaiety, whoever found the first of those 
fragrant messengers of spring being carried into 
Vienna in triumph. 

It was a pretty festival; the Court always took 
part in it ; the people proceeded in procession to 
the Kahlenberg, which, since the evening before, 
had been surrounded by a guard of armed men, so 
that no one might search the ground beforehand. 
At the head of the procession marched a band of 
fiddlers, wearing bearskin caps, ornamented with 
peacock feathers ; next came a motley group of pages 
and squires, the Duke and Duchess with their guard 
of honor, and the members of the Fools' Council in 



vo VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

harlequin dress, with foolscaps and bells. At a given 
signal every one scattered over the mountain-side, and 
whoever found the first blossom was declared ki::_ : 
the festival : he was pi wirh a golden violet, 

and placed in the seat of honor at the banquet that 
followed the " bal ehatnpetre." He also had the right 
to dance with the Duchess, and his name was recorded 
in the chronicles for posterity. 

Adjoining the Hofgarten is the Albertina, the 
famous collection begun by Duke Albert of Sachsen- 
Teschen, son of Frederick Augustus. Elector of 
Saxony and King of Poland. His taste for the fine 
arts was strenjtht-ned and developed by a journey he 
made through Italy with his young the gifted 

Maria Christiua. fifth and favorite daughter of M iria 
Theresa. He commissioned the Austrian Ambass 
at Venice, Jacques Durazz-., to purchase old Italian 
engravings for him: and during his sojourn in the 
Netherlands as Stadtholder he devoted himself to 
drawiugs of the Flemish masters. Un- 
fortunately the ship, laden with these valuable draw- 
ings and the Duke's fiue library, foundered on its 
from Belgium to Hamburg, in the year 1 792. Some 
of the citizens of the Xetherlands. in order to c 
the Duke for his loss, then set themselves to work to 
rummage through the entire country, with the result 
that a hundred and tbrty-scven original drawings y 
Rembrandt and a superb collection of Rubens' draw- 
ings were purchased, and now form a unique feature 



THE DUBEB COLLECTION OF PAINTINGS. 83 

of this rauseuui. But the pearl ::' the ce-Iect:o:i is ... 
series :: the ; r: -V.: :■::.-= :■:' Al'::reoh: Diirer. ' 

wes ife High: ::■ : -r zf:\. ::' .Rudolph II. — :....: 
perfectly mad but art-loving Emperor who a ised 
the >~ :::.: ,-: T — -^hs "Feast :-i the E sary" I0 
to -be carried from Venice fee Prague >n the sfa Lers 
of four men, in order not to expose it to the joltings 

: ;: ._•->. I>-.;;er pa::::e l :h:s ; : : ... at \ erhce 

in 1506, an was paid one hundred and ten florins for 

it In 17S2 the same picture was at np at public 

11 Pra^ .."..._ -.vi:h " son: : the: - l trash." by 

order of Joseph II. 1 

A portrait by the artist of himself .: the ._ . 1 
thirteen - - - frotrtisp:-: : : - : 
tion, which includes some of the master's earliest at- 
tempts, as well as some of his masterpieces. Some 
bear dates f the period when was 311 pie appren- 
tice; other- give > the stumes rn vthe Nurem- 
; :---' hhi— . :' his ■'._ y — :hm:::i:;_ •.;::.-":::,> --f.hh reoail 
Holbein's sh itches of the ladies of Bale. Diirer under- 
stood the secret of combining the characteristi s of an 
-:: : ; : a.: TT h:h :h:\h 1 h -e sta Iv : :h 

1 model — Nature. Iv g that his 

brush, his trair.el ~: ::\; - ■>. 

This Bunch of Violets, into which he seems to have 

ierare described in the inventory of this collection 
Naked Female Bitten by a Mad Goose" proved to be Titian's 
" Leda with the Swan." 



84 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

instilled the very scent as well as the color, surely he 
picked them himself, or at least received them from 
the reverential hands of some noble dame, who ad- 
mired and appreciated his genius ; and this Captive 
Hare — he had seen it ! Did he not paint this land- 
scape in the open air, seated in some field on a fair 
summer morning ? That Dead Crow he stood long 
in front of, and perhaps felt sorry that it had to die. 

There is, in addition to these finished works, a 
marvelous series of sketches done in pencil on green 
paper — studies for the figures of the apostles in the 
Assumption. Every one of these men, like those in 
the pen-and-ink drawing of the Adoration of the Magi, 
impresses you with a sense that the originals have 
lived — that they are drawn from life. There is an 
incomparable air of dignity in their attitudes, and the 
forms of these bald-headed old men are still alert and 
vigorous ; and how admirable are the draperies, falling 
in lines full of harmony ! What rhythmic grace ! 
what amplitude ! Diirer had the feeling for corporeal 
life ; he was in advance of his age, just as Shakes- 
peare was in advance of his. 

M. Thausing, for many years director of the Alber- 
tina, once made a wonderful discovery. Rummaging 
among the miscellaneous collections of a second-hand 
book-dealer, he came across an album filled with 
sketches by Jacques Collot. On the first page was a 
portrait of the artist — a true type of a Bohemian 
head, moustache curled upwards, dreamy eyes and 



JACQUES COLLOT'S SKETCHES. 85 

busliy hair. Following it are a number of studies 
made from Holbein's Dance of Death, which bear 
unmistakable evidence of having been made from the 
original drawings. The execution of the French 
artist is decidedly superior to that of the Dutchman ; 
it is more refined, more ironical and sarcastic, more 
vigorous ; there is nothing clumsy about the drawing — 
nothing stiff; it is as though his pencil changed every- 
thing it touched, transforming pebbles into diamonds. 
Not infrequently Collot introduces fresh actors into 
the drama. For example, in the scene where Death 
is removing the nuptial garland from a bride, Collot 
adds two individuals — a servant, in the act of handing 
her mistress her necklaces and jewels, and a Death, who 
seizes and dances away with them ; also, he modifies 
and interprets, in his own fashion, Holbein's concep- 
tion of the physiognomy and attitudes of Death. 
Hence this series of drawings may be taken almost as 
an original work — a new Danse Macabre, less naive, 
more mocking and more cruel than the other. 

The remaining sketches in this album were made at 
the siege of Breda. They consist of picturesque camp 
scenes, races and shooting-matches between the sol- 
diers, studies of horses, episodes of battles, skirmishes, 
portraits of camp followers and vivandieres, of 
Turks and Hungarians ; then groups of children, in- 
fants at the breast, cripples with hats awry and ragged 
capes, tattered beggars, roystering Bohemians ; here a 
group of soldiers, drinking the stirrup-cup ; there 



86 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

another group, chaffing a solidly-built woman, well 
able to look out for herself, and every line is executed 
with a devil-may-care dash and spirit — a magic touch 
that infuses the very breath of life into these yellow 
bits of paper. The horses gallop across the page ; one 
can hear the sutlers quarreling and cursing; the cold 
breath of the tomb blows across the leaf, and makes 
you shiver as your eye falls ou that ferocious figure of 
Death, hastening to the combat, with the haughty air 
of a conqueror, his head ornamented with a great 
plumed hat, and across his shoulder a banner, whose 
folds are gathered between the bony fingers of one 
hand. 

Vienna has reason to be proud indeed of her art 
treasures. The Belvedere Galleries, even before they 
were incorporated with the Imperial Art Museum, 
ranked among the finest collections in Europe; and 
.-he can. moreover, boast of four valuable private gal- 
leries — those of Count Ozernin, Cunt Harrach, 
Prince Liechtenstein and of Count Schonborn. These 
are all open to the public, and contain admirable ex- 
amples of the ancient German. Italian and Dutch 
schools of art. 

A little to the north of the Albertina stands the 
Lobkowitz Palace, an ostentatious rococo building, 
erected in the latter part of the seventeenth century. 
Prince Wenceslaus Eusebius Lobkowitz played a con- 
spicuous part in public affairs in the reign of Leopold 
I. He belonged to the junior branch of an ancient 



PEIXCE LOBKOWITZ— HIS DOWNFALL. 87 

Bohemian family, and held a number of important 
offices, finally becoming Prime Minister on the dis- 
grace of Prince Auersperg, who had held that office. 
Witty, agreeable, generous and good-humored, Lobko- 
witz unfortunately never could learn to hold his 
tongue, and consequently was always getting into 
trouble. 

On the death of the Empress, Margaret Theresa, 
Leopold wished to marry again, and was hesitating 
between a Princess of the Margravate and his cousin, 
the Tyrolese Princess Claudia Felicitas, a daughter of 
the Grand Duke Ferdinand. A number of other 
partis were suggested to the Emperor, and all their 
portraits were hung in a room in the Burg. One day 
when Lobkowitz, who was a great favorite with the 
Emperor, was examining this strange collection, Leo- 
pold asked his advice as to which bride he should 
select. The Minister named several Princesses, but 
none of those whose portraits were before them. 
Later, when Claudia became Empress, she heard of 
this ; also that he had repeated some discreditable 
tales concerning her. She determined, therefore, to 
have her revenge. A charge was preferred against 
Lobkowitz that he was planning a secret alliance with 
France, and the Empress, with the aid of the Jesuits 
— his inveterate enemies — procured his disgrace. 
Quite unprepared for the impending misfortune, the 
Minister was driving to Court, as usual, on the morn- 
ing of the 17th of October, 1674, when he was ar- 



vv VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

rest* 1 on the street by the captain of the body-guard 
of halberdiers, and informed that by special ore 1 : 
the EmperoT he was leprived forthwith :: all his 
dignities. When the astonish Minister asked, not 
unnatural y, I giveas me reason, he was solemnly 

warned against making, am in : in of 

death. 

He was then told that within tin ys he must 

Vienna and retire to his estate of Ruudnitz 
in Bohemia, there to remain in exile. There 
nothing for it but t iy, and the third day - - 
ceeding his arrest, the Viennese were much edified bv 
_ - : : lat all-] weri I : v rite being 
pen can _ ross tb 
I 3 _ It was - -- 

I I that the Muni ;ucil might Ls have 

hand in the Minist - - they bore 

him a _ _ them to clean the so te I 

I. It is told th : g in vain, by 

- : alt mate threats and pi mises I induce the 
Council to do this, the Prime Minister at last had re- 
urse t a trick. H- 9ent I _ - 

m st i : Vienna : me to s him. Hie Burgo- 
mastei I in his state arriage, 'dad in an en 

silk stoc] gs 1 sh - I with 

silver buck 
••A:., mj dear I _ si . isityouP' cried I 
fcz, at the saj - ig his hat. ~ I am so 

verv son it an im : : msiness 



DEVICE FOR GETTING CLEAU STREETS. 89 

me to go out. Will you just step iuto rny carriage, 
aud we eau talk as we drive. I will drop you ou 
your street.'' 

Sebastieu Fiugeuslieur thereupon dismissed his 
coachman aud seated himself beside the Minister, who 
discoursed to him fluently about the weather. The 
carriage drove through all the dirtiest streets in Vienna, 
finally stopping near the Town Hall. 

" A thousand pardons ! M cried Lobkowitz ; " but I 
shall have to put you down here, my dear Burgo- 
master. I find I have lingered too long, and my 
engagement takes me iu the opposite direction." 

The door was thrown open and a footman stood 
ready to help the Burgomaster out ; but when the 
latter saw the sea of mud with which the street was 
flooded, he drew back, and, turning to Lobkowitz, 
said, in a tone almost of supplication : 

" If your Excellency would be so kind as to allow 
the coachman to drive just a little further." 

"Impossible!" said the Minister. "I tell you I 
am expected, aud I am twenty minutes late now/' 

So, whether he liked it or not, the Burgomaster had 
to step out — and in, too, for the mire reached above 
his ankles, and he reached his house in a very sorry 
plight. Lobkowitz went home, shrieking with laugh- 
ter ; and from that day there was a marked improve- 
ment in the condition of the Viennese streets. 

Even in exile, Lobkowitz continued to give his 
fanciful humor rein. He fitted out one-half of the 



90 VIENNA AND THE YIENOTSE. 

hall of his castle with all the magnificence of a princely 
establishment ; while the other half was as poor and 
meagre as the most miserable hovel. 

"It is my way," he explained to visitors, "of 
keeping the past and the present always before my 
mind.' 3 He composed for his epitaph the following 
summary of his career : 

" I have been — Count, Prince, Duke. 
I am— dust, shadow, nothing ! M 



CHAPTER VI. 

Buildings on the Ring Strasse — Academy of Fine Arts — Schiller 
Monument — The Opera under Leopold I. — " The Habsburg 
Lip " — The Empress Claudia — Expedient of the Devout 
Eleanora of Mantua — Charles VI.'s Taste for Music — Joseph 
Fuchs — Imperial Performers — Arrangements of the House — 
The Present Opera House — Deaths of the Architects — Interior 
Fittings — Mechanical Devices — Costumes — Hofopem Orchester 
— The Conductor Hans Richter — The Ballet — The Audience — 
Cafes Chantants, " the Opera of the People " — The Tyrolese 
Singers — The Viennese Singers — Furst — His Power of Mimicry 
— Street Musicians — " du lieber Augustin" — Opera House — 
Adelige Casino — Stadtpark — Ice Fetes — The Due de Richelieu 
in Vienna — Austrian Museum of Art and Industry — Export 
Academy — Franz Josephs Barrack — The Danube: Where Is It? 
—Viennese Signs— Reminders of Paris— The Ring Promenade 
— Excellent Street Paving— Street Cleaning— The Cab Drivers 
— Sedan Chairs Were Not Always a Luxury — Omnibuses — The 
Ring a Fashionable Resort — Absence of Decorations — Racial 
Characteristics — Jewesses. 

The Albrechtgasse, which skirts the side of the 
Hofgarten, leads back to the Ring, directly opposite 
the Schiller Platz and the great Academy of Fine 
Arts. Attached to the latter are schools of painting, 
sculpture and architecture. The facade has gilded 
niches, in which stand terra cotta figures representing 
the heroes and goddesses of Olympia, the whole form- 
ing a remarkably poor background for the bronze 

91 



92 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

statue of Schiller, which rises in the centre of the 
Platz. Were this but of marble, instead of bronze, it 
would be much more effective. 

The veneration shown by Germany for her literary 
heroes is altogether admirable. No fewer than forty 
statues of Schiller and Goethe are to be found on Ger- 
man soil. How many monuments, it may be asked, 
has France erected to Moliere or Corneille ? 

A little beyond the Academy is the Opera House. 
As early as the reign of the Emperor Leopold I. 
(1657-1705) the opera was performed at Vienna with 
great magnificence. One hundred thousand florins 
were expended upon the production of Sesti's " II 
Porno d'Oro " alone. 

In this opera the scene was changed twenty-three 
times, and there were the same number of combats. 
In the ninth scene of the first act, Paris was discovered 
displaying to Juno a glittering galaxy of diamonds : 
on the right, two genii were bearing away the figure 
of Momus, while on the left, Minerva, completely 
armed, stood poised upon a rainbow. The final scene 
represented Olympus above the clouds, and Jupiter, 
from his throne, informing the assembled goddesses 
that the golden apple could belong to none other than 
to the Emperor's bride (his second wife, Claudia of 
Tyrol), as she combined the stately dignity of Juno, 
with the virtue and wit of Minerva and the beauty 
of Venus. 

Leopold was passionately fond o£ music, and. 



The Imperial Opera House 



THE OPERA UNDER LEOPOLD I. 93 

although he possessed a fully developed " Habsburg 
lip," l he himself played very well on the flute and 
also on the spinet. The Empress Claudia shared this 
taste, and her musical proficiency was one reason of 
her great influence over her husband. Sometimes she 
utilized the opera to bring things to the Emperor's 
notice, which even she hardly dared to tell him of 
plainly. Thus the " La Laterna di Diogene " was 
an exposition of the abuses rife in the Viennese Court 
at that time. 

Leopold's third wife, Eleanora of Mantua, was, on 
the contrary, a pronounced devote ; obliged to accom- 
pany the Emperor to the opera, she took with her a 
copy of the Psalms, bound to look like a libretto, and 
studied them devoutly throughout the performance. 

The Emperor's passion for music remained with him 
to the very end. When on his death-bed, after the 
last rites of the church had been performed, he asked 
to have the Court band brought to his chamber, and 
as they played he expired. 

Leopold's youngest son, the Emperor Charles VI., 

inherited his father's musical taste. In his time the 

l A striking physical characteristic of the Habsburgs was the 
heavy hanging under lip. It was transmitted through many genera- 
tions. When the marriage between the Emperor Napoleon and 
Marie Louise was definitely arranged, a portrait of the Archduchess, 
painted expressly for the purpose, was sent from Vienna to her 
Imperial fiance, who had never seen her. Napoleon, it is said, after 
examining it eagerly, expressed the greatest satisfaction at finding 
that his bride had "the Habsburg lip," as his wish was to marry 
one whose distinguished birth would instantly be recognized. 



94 VIENNA AXD THE VIENNESE. 

band of the Burg Opera was brought to a high state 
of proficiency, under the leadership of the gifted 
Styrian, Joseph Fuchs. Occasionally on such high 
festivals as the Emperor's or the Empress's birthday, 
Charles would himself lead the band, while distin- 
guished ladies and gentlemen of the Court would per- 
form on the various instruments, and sometimes the 
two Archduchesses would even take part in the 
ballet ! Metestasio, who had then settled in Vienna, 
composed the librettos ; the soprano parts were sung 
by eunuchs. 

Notwithstanding the enormous expense of these per- 
formances (it never cost less than sixty thousand florins 
to bring out a new opera), the public was admitted 
free of charge, certain boxes being set aside for the 
use of the Court and distinguished guests. The Em- 
peror and Empress occupied an estrade, placed directly 
in front of the stage. A page knelt on either side 
throughout the performance to fan their Majesties ; the 
rest of the Imperial family sat on the stage itself. 

The exterior of the present Opera House, which 
was begun in 1861, is not especially impressive. 
Five unimposing statues, wearing an air of ex- 
cessive ennui, are stationed between the square col- 
umns of an Italian loggia, and constitute the chief 
decoration of the facade. The two architects, Van 
der Xiill and Sicardsburg. both came to untimely ends 
before the completion of the building — one shot him- 
self, from chagrin at the sinking of the foundation. 



THE PKESENT OPERA HOUSE. 95 

and the other actually died of mortification, caused by 
the severe and quite unjust criticisms of the Viennese 
press. The interior, however, fully atones for any dis- 
appointment one may feel at the exterior. Regarded 
from a practical standpoint, it is unsurpassed. Three 
thousand spectators can be accommodated comfortably, 
each individual being well seated, and commanding 
an uninterrupted view of the stage — one of the largest 
in Europe. 

When the Opera House was opened in 1869, it was 
greeted with paeans of praise. Never had there any- 
where been seen such sumptuous fittings, such mag- 
nificence of decoration, such air and space and com- 
fort, such light and ventilation. The Imperial box, 
which occupies the middle of the house, is furnished 
with several ante-rooms and a splendidly decorated 
foyer. The machinery for opening and closing the 
trap-doors, shifting the scenery, and so on, is operated 
by steam and electricity. The scenery is all got 
ready in the morning, and in the evening the head 
machinist, installed in a little box, has merely to 
touch a button, and the wings at once begin to glide 
on or off, as the case may be, and the trap-door to rise 
or fall. Electric wires also connect the manager's 
box with the dressing-rooms of all the actors, actresses 
and ballet-dancers; with the orchestra, the director 
of the scenery, and the entire service of the house ; 
and he can also sound a general fire-alarm throughout 
the city. 



96 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

The employees of the Opera number seven hun- 
dred. There is a carpenter shop, a tailors and dress- 
makers' establishment, and a studio for scene-painting, 
attached to it ; and it is not uncommon for as many 
as four hundred dancers to take part in a single ballet. 
The costumes are truly magnificent, fashioned, as a 
rule, out of the richest qualities of silks and velvets, 
and designed by the leading modistes. No pasteboard 
helmets or tin armor are found here, as at other the- 
atres. Everything of this sort that is required is 
furnished from the Imperial Arsenal, and the collec- 
tion, preserved in a special room, forms a museum in 
itself. 

The Hofopern Orchester of Vienna ranks perhaps 
higher than any other orchestra in the world. Since 
1875 the famous conductor, Hans Richter, has been 
associated with it ; and on the death of Hellmesberger, 
in 1893, he became head Kapellmeister. 

Richter conducted the Nibelungen Ring at Bayreuth 
in 1876, and has been conductor-in-chief of the Bay- 
reuth Festivals ever since. He is very well known 
in England, having frequently given concerts in Lon- 
don, and conducted the Birmingham Festivals. 

The ballet is likewise produced at Vienna in a 
manner to place it far above all other ballets. The 
dancers are really beautiful and graceful women, 
trained to the very highest degree of perfection in 
their art, and most exquisitely costumed. A perform- 
ance is given in the Burg Opera every evening, except 



THE CAFES CHANTANTS— FURST. 97 

in summer. Society, in its silks and laces, its diamonds 
and decorations, its gorgeous uniforms, gold lace, pomps 
and vanities, flows up the great stairways and into the 
boxes, and forms of itself an exhibition almost as in- 
teresting and quite as dazzling as that to be seen on 
the stage. 

At the other extremity of the musical balance is 
what has been misleadingly entitled the " Opera of the 
people" — that is, the Cafes Chantants. These un- 
healthy excrescences, which are always to be found in 
a community where the love of music is widely devel- 
oped, are perhaps a little less hopelessly vulgar and 
meretricious in Vienna than elsewhere, by reason of the 
Tyrolese singers, who may be found here and there, 
rendering the charming and plaintive songs of their 
native mountains. The entire audience will sometimes 
join in the chorus of Andreas Hofer's hymn, and then 
it seems for a moment as though the image of Country 
suddenly raised, and glorified the ignoble faces and 
squalid surroundings into something vigorous and 
almost fine. 

The Viennese singers have won a world-wide repu- 
tation ; if they figure on a programme, the perform- 
ance is sure to draw a crowded house. Furst was the 
Christopher Columbus of this branch of art. An ex- 
cellent mimic, he made a great hit by taking off the 
most familiar Viennese types — the terrible Hausmeistcr 
(portier) ; the Polish Jew ; the curt and haughty em- 
ployer, with his lean jaw, his fierce moustaches, his air 
7 



98 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE 

of a hungry crocodile ; the hack driver, with his florid 
countenance ; the happy-go-lucky shoemaker's appren- 
tice ; the bent and tottering old soldier — all of these, 
and manv others, Furst was able to imitate exactly, in 
the tones of their voices, their gestures, all the little 
characteristics that were so familiar to his audiences. 
AVords were easily provided, and Furst soon found him- 
self the most popular man in Vienna, besides being 
the founder of a school. 

On a plane below his are the innumerable harpists, 
violinists, flutists, soloists, of the street. During the 
day they wander about from one courtyard to another, 
and in the evening they are found in the cheap tav- 
erns and restaurants. 

The most celebrated member of this class was the 
seventeenth century Augustin, whose songs are still 
sung and loved by his compatriots. Augustin's circum- 
stances were like those of most other street Bohemians ; 
ragged, thin, and miserably poor, his songs are epitomes 
of his life, wild bursts ofgayety interspersing the pre- 
vailing melancholy, sobs and laughter, line irony and 
deep despair. This nightingale of the gutter had 
withal an exquisite feeling for beauty in all its 
forms. And now, after a lapse of more than two 
centuries, that despairing cry of his, worthy to rank 
with the productions of Villon and of Murger, 
still echoes not alone in the streets of Vienna, 
where he lived and suffered and died, but through- 
out the world. 



THE ADELIGE CASINO CLUB. 99 

" O, du lieber Augustin, Augustin, Augustin, 
O, du lieber Augustin, alies ist bin ! 
Geld ist weg, mad'l ist weg, alles weg, alles weg! 
O, du lieber Augustin, alles ist bin !" 

Opposite the Opera House is the Heinrichshof, 
a huge apartment house, with three large courts, 
and fronting on four streets. Beyond this, on the left 
and right, stand two of the principal hotels of Vienna, 
the Grand Hotel and the Hotel Imperial, the latter 
at one time the palace of the Duke of Wiirtemberg. 
The inner side of this part of the Ring is the favorite 
afternoon promenade of " Society " in the spring and 
fall. Beyond lie the Schwarzenberg Platz and bridge, 
named after the field-marshal, Prince Carl, who distin- 
guished himself in the battle of Leipsic, in 1813. 

The exclusive Adelige Casino Club is in the Kolo- 
wratring, which is reached next. To this club only 
noblemen of ancient descent are admitted, its doors 
being closed inexorably to any simple gentleman. 
From the Johannesgasse to the Stuben Briicke, extends 
the charming Stadtpark, its lawns sprinkled with chil- 
dren and its lake with ducks. In winter this pretty 
sheet of water becomes a smooth expanse of ice, and 
here the skaters disport themselves in gay crowds. 
Sometimes fetes are held, fetes that transport the on- 
looker to fairyland at once, for they take place at 
night, by the light of torches, whose ruddy gleams 
cause every frozen twig and icicle in the surrounding 
trees and shrubbery to sparkle and glitter like jewels. 
LofC. 



100 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Hungarians, with boots fitting like gloves, short 
braided jackets and caps of otter skin, fly by, hand- 
in-hand with young girls, whoui they guide as skill- 
fully as though following the figures of a cotillion, 
and whose graceful, swaying figures are enveloped in 
the cloud-like drapery of their long veils and loose- 
flying hair. 

After Tegetthof's expedition to the Arctic regions, 
the fashionable women of Vienna introduced a 
skating costume modeled after the picturesque 
dress of the Esquimaux, consisting of a cap, coat, 
breeches and tightly-fitting leggings, all of fur. 
It does away entirely with the inconvenient skirt. 
The hair is allowed to take care of itself, the hands 
are buried in a small muff, and the effect of the whole, 
while a trifle bizarre, is decidedly coquettish. 

The Kursalon is provided with coffee and mineral- 
water rooms, and here are held the winter military 
concerts. 

The Johannesgasse skirts this end of the Park. 
On November 9, 1725, the Due de Richelieu, Am- 
bassador Extraordinary at the Court of Austria, 
alighted at Xo. 5, the residence of the Count of Ives- 
tenberg. The horses of his suite were shod in silver, 
his own in gold, and so loosely attached that they usu- 
ally dropped off en route. The gallant Duke's five 
months' sojourn in Vienna was rich in adventures. 
One day he and his friend. Count Zinzendorf, visited 
a celebrated fortune-teller. After answering a num- 



The Schwarzenbcfg Palace 



i 



THE DUC DE EICHELIEU IN VIENNA. 101 

ber of questions put to him about members of the 
Austrian Court and the diplomatic corps, the man, in 
his turn, asked a question. 

" Now, gentlemen, tell me what you wish for above 
all else." 

"I," said Richelieu, promptly, "would like more 
than anything else to possess the key to the hearts of 
Princes." 

" And I that to the hearts of women," cried Zin- 
zendorf. 

" For some people," observed the sorcerer, " the key 
to a woman's heart would be a most useless possession, 
because the women they love have no hearts." 

"You insult my mistress," cried Zinzendorf, his 
usually pale features becoming suddenly flushed. 
Then he added shortly, " Are you prepared to prove 
your assertion ? " 

" I am," was the reply. 

Turning toward Richelieu, the Count said, "You 
hear him ! . . . This vile liar dares to maintain his 
insult. ... I demand proofs. I will have proofs." 

Thereupon the sorcerer entered into such detailed 
statements regarding the life and career of a certain 
well-kuown lady, that Zinzendorf, quite beside himself, 
drew his sword ; the other did the same. They were 
about equally matched ; but the fortune-teller, being 
much more cool and self-possessed, had the advantage. 
Suddenly turning aside his adversary's blade, he was 
on the point of driving his sword home, when Riche- 



102 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

lieu, who had followed every movement, struck in and 
gave him a fatal wound. The man, with a short cry, 
fell lifeless to the floor, bathed in blood. For a mo- 
ment the two friends stood gazing at one another in 
stupefaction ; then they fled. The police did not dare 
to call the Ambassador to account for the murder, 
which he himself took very airily. Some one ven- 
turing to refer to it one evening, during a reception at 
the palace, he laughed cheerfully, and said, " Well, but 
it was the devil I killed ." 

Directly opposite the Stadtpark are the park and 
building of the Horticultural Society, the latter used 
for balls and exhibitions, and beyoud them, on the 
same side of the street, is the palace of the Archduke 
William, General Inspector of Artillery, and Grand 
Master of the German Order. It is in the Italian 
Renaissance style, with fluted columns, statues and 
trophies. 

Further on to the right is the Austrian Museum of 
Art and Industry, a sort of permanent exhibition, 
where strangers may study the best productions of 
Viennese industrial art. The jewelry and goldsmiths' 
work is remarkable for its exquisite taste and the 
beauty of the workmanship; while the brilliant color- 
ing of the carpets and woven stuffs, and the diaphan- 
ous character of the muslins, proclaim the influence 
of the Orient. The Viennese carvings in ivory, more- 
over, may be compared in fineness of execution with 
the work of that character done in China and India. 



THE MUSEUM OF ART AND INDUSTRY. 103 

The specimens of bookbinding reveal the hands of 
true masters of the art, and all forms of leather-work 
are a specialty. The leather establishments, even of 
Paris, send to Vienna for workers in stamped leather. 

When, however, it comes to furniture, bronzes, the 
thousand and one articles of elegant and costly luxury, 
which are classed together in Germany under the gen- 
eral head of Galanterie-Waaren, Vienna industry is 
the child of that of Paris, though the Vienna work- 
man puts something of his own spirit into his work, 
and originates to a certain extent. 

The iridescent glassware, invented by Lobmeyr, 
and carved meerschaums, are among the articles in 
the production of which A^ienna excels. A school 
of Industrial Art is established in the adjoining build- 
ing ; it was founded by the Emperor, and has proved 
invaluable in developing and encouraging a class of 
workmen who have honorably earned their title of 
"the rivals of the Byzantines." The museum has 
been in existence about forty years. 

Notwithstanding the high quality of many of the 
wares they have to offer, it has long been the standing 
complaint of Austrian exporters that, owing to the 
scarcity of Austrian merchants in foreign lands, they 
had difficulty in finding a market abroad. To remedy 
this state of things there was opened in Vienna in 
October, 1898, an Export Academy, connected with 
the Imperial Royal Commercial Museum, and under 
the superintendence of a member of the Ministry of 



104 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Commerce. The students are drawn from the gradu- 
ates of commercial and grammar school s, and must pass 
preliminary examinations. The course of study and 
the discipline are strict. A student who has absented 
himself from classes for eight days, without showing 
satisfactory cause, is dismissed. There are frequent 
and severe examinations. The object of this Export 
Academy is to promote the Austrian export trade, and 
it is expected that the graduates, on leaving school, 
will take positions with manufacturing and exporting 
firms in Austria to master the practical details of bus- 
iness. Later, the Government and the Chambers of 
Commerce, with the aid of the foreign Consuls, under- 
take to aid in establishing them advantageously with 
firms abroad. 

The curriculum includes the study of French and 
English speech and correspondence, domestic and 
foreign law — as it relates to commerce — economics, 
practice in office work, etc., etc. 1 

Opposite the Museum of Art and Industry is the 
Franz Josephs drill ground. The imposing red brick 
barracks, which were erected here after the revolution 
of 1848, have lately been pulled down. They formed 
part of a system of fortifications designed to hold the 
interior of the city in check. The Corporation had 
long been eager for their removal, deeming the site far 
too valuable to be devoted to such a purpose. 

The Aspern Briicke forms a continuation, in a direct 

1 Sae Vienna Export Academy, C. B. Hurst, Consul-GeneralVienna. 



VIENNESE STREET SIGNS. 105 

line, of the Ring ; it leads to the suburb called Leo- 
poldstadt, and to the Prater ; but the visitor is warned 
not to look for the majestic Danube, the " beautiful 
blue Danube" of poetry and song. It does not reflect 
the city in the calm waters of its stately bosom, and 
the attenuated arm that flows beneath the Aspern 
bridge has barely sufficient water to float the little 
steamboats plying back and forth between the city 
and the Prater. It is somewhat of a blow to the trav- 
eler to find Vienna situated not on the banks of the 
Danube, but at an hour's distance from it. 

One amusing feature of the Viennese streets is the 
quaint character of many of the signs. Those of the 
small hotels and taverns are enough in themselves to 
show the very ancient origin of the Imperial capital. 
Golden Geese, Golden Lambs, Golden Grapes, Golden 
Crosses, Golden Crowns, Golden Stags, Golden Bou- 
quets, and Golden Oxen, abound. There is a tavern 
of the Blue Goat, another of the Black Bear, of the 
Gold Peacock, of the Three Rabbits. The shopkeepers 
as well have a pleasant custom of naming their shops, 
calling them " The Laurel Crown," " The Camelia," 
and so on. Those which have French names are less 
happy, good intention being more in evidence than 
good grammar. Here are three taken down at random : 

" Choix des vetements confectionnes pour les hommes 
au dernier gout aux etoffes du pays et de V etrangere " 
" Gfrande-Mode-Establissement" "Specialite de bottincs 
pour femmes claquees." They remind one of the 



106 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

"specialties de Serviette en peau d'avocat" and the 
" Vin blanc, bon pour les huitres" which were adver- 
tised in the streets of Paris itself not so very many 
years ago. 

To the Parisian visiting Vienna, not the least of 
its pleasures consists in the continual reminders 
of his native land that meet him at every turn. 
You arrive at a hotel and are met by a waiter 
speaking French ; French newspapers are in the 
reading-room ; at the theatre, where you go to study 
the drama of the country, you find plays by Dumas 
or Feuillet on the boards. Attend a public ball — the 
dancing is almost the same as at Valentino's. In 
Vienna, as in London, Berlin and St. Petersburg, 
everywhere you find Nouveautes de Paris, Modes de 
Paris, Coiffeurs de Paris. Every hairdresser in Ger- 
many is named Hippolyte. 

"Our workmen/' once said a Viennese manufacturer, 
" all serve an apprenticeship in Paris ; it is there 
they get their hands in. But if we fail to send them 
back for a certain space of time every four or five 
years, they lose their taste and their facility, and seem 
incapable of getting beyond their old models." 

One of the directors of the Vienna opera once 
declared that Paris was the only place where an opera 
libretto could be properly prepared, citing as an ex- 
ample one of Mozart's operas, which they found means 
to have remodeled in Paris, and which up to that time 
had in Germany been declared impossible of production. 



THE RING PROMENADE. 107 

The Viennese streets are full of life and movement. 
That section of the King Strasse which lies between 
the rotunda of the Horticultural Society and the 
Opera House has all the animation of the Champs- 
Elysees. On a fine spring or autumn day Court 
equipages file by, the drivers wearing yellow breeches 
and laced three-cornered hats ; private carriages tear 
by like the wind ; horsemen prance up and down, 
bowing to the ladies who promenade on the side- 
walks under full sail; here and there one sees pic- 
turesque groups of Hungarian officers, in boots and 
skin-tight pantaloons, laced and ornamented, their 
kalpacs surmounted with an aigrette. Austrian 
officers lounge by in pairs, charming — curled and 
scented like the gallant militaires of light opera, 
bodies swaying, chests inflated, a glass stuck in one 
eye, hair carefully divided in the middle, with the 
part reaching to the back of the neck. They are 
usually tall and thin, poised on top of their long legs 
like herons, their fresh, rosy faces framed in reddish 
w r hiskers of the color of dried moss. 

Long-haired students, artists in peaked hats, child- 
nurses in striking costumes — scarlet skirts, embroi- 
dered bodices and caps of gold cloth — turbaned 
Turks, wearing the crescent on their backs; scholars 
of the Theresianische Ritter-Akademie, in their natty 
and becoming military uniform ; small flower-girls ; 
dog fanciers ; portiers (disguised as church beadles), 
standing majestically in the doorways of the houses — 



1 ; v VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE 

all these, combined with the shirring eharao::: : the 
scene, lend to this boulevard a character at once indi- 
vidual and cosmopolitan. 

The Ring has sides its a iewalks, two carriage 
- and two avenues ■ : . uestrians an 
for pedestrians. One of the driveways is used by I 
tramway cars i which are plastered all . : Jtside 
- ith Ivertisei ate :-abs and omnibuses 

Vienna is famed for ti :: f its sb - 

paving. Ine impression pi y the stre -:- : 

Vienna on the newly-arrivf Amerk > alt _ 

: " . I Wj 

tour of hv -: _ i _ the chiri itiesoi 

Em pe. The: - - Die asphalt, . :. . st part 

js about eight i 5 in s 
used. They:. - I surfa with sh rply-cut 

_ 5, and are admirably la: 
i ;s is are b : usually an a qua::., 

inch in width. The curbs are - lid : the side- 

walks : excellent astro : :: — frequently they 
laid with blocks simii... : tho£ f the sti b 

3 smoot surface grt fcly :. iliu - - - 

w .': : the sfai :- aere Ihes 
Waring com: 3 uni s tc industry and 

with the sti - aners f Xew York; they 
I them are okL In 
summer the more important streets f Vienna 
sprinkled twice a day: they als sprinkled and 

by machine in the inght bei _ ht and 



STREET CLEAKIS 5— THE 3AB LEIYIIIS. log 

: ni A. ::. and they are swept by hand a nuniber of 
times during the 

The street sweepings and the refuse collected from 
file bouses :. ; agon : the grounds : 

(he various otra t rs, who have a force of men, 

men and children employe! to sort out anything 
that may re-sold • all materials for fuel, sneh as 
pieces of wood : - :r charred ein lers, are esj ecially 
valuable. On Saturday the employees are given : 
their own nse the fuel collected on that day, the wily 
contractors being careful to measnre the amount and 
gauge the work to be expected from them on other 
days by it. The sidewalks re cleane:: twice every 
by the house:. 

The conclusion reached by Colonel W after 

a careful inspection of the Viennese practice and 
meth: Is, was that the main thoroughfares : New 
York were better cleaned than those of Vienna ; and 
that the worst paved and most negl ted sb :- : 
N York were cleaner than all but the pri^ a . 
sb :- : V: T cna. 

Xh J two-horse cab), with its frisky pa:: : 

s, is titted np with curtains and mirrors ; only a 
stand and clock are needed to turn it into a regu- 
lar apartment. The horses are driven at a speed that 
rivals the pace of some blooded animal. As a rule, 
each driver owns his carriage and horses. On 
of the Exposition - : 187 : : . strike, because 

thorities wished tc _:nd them down to a tariff — 



110 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

they, the spoiled children of Vienna, accustomed to 
unlimited tips and to being treated like friends and 
companions ! The true Viennese will always " tutois " 
his cabman, who belougs, however, to a very different 
and much more agreeable class than the ordinary cab 
driver. As a rule, he is a jovial soul, with a clever 
repartee always ready on the tip of his tongue. He 
descries you from afar, and politely doffs his hat, 
indicating by a gesture that his carriage is at your dis- 
posal. It is customary to pay by the hour, but in one 
hour a Viennese nacre covers six times as much dis- 
tance as a Parisian one. It is a point of houor with 
the driver to gallop his horses on all the streets where 
this is allowed, for in that fortunate city the police have 
actually been obliged to restrict the speed of the cabs. 
The Viennese cabman is usually large and fat ; he 
lias the florid complexion of a Councilor of State and 
the corporation of a notary ; his lace is ornamented with 
rubies, like the decoration of the Golden Fleece, and 
his countenance, like his entire person, breathes con- 
tentment and happiness. In summer he dresses in 
nankeen ; in winter he proudly envelopes himself in a 
mangy tippet, evidently purchased in the Juden 
Strasse. He is excessively polite ; when you pass 
near a cab-stand, where, assembled in a sort of club, 
the drivers are discussing politics, or. gathered in a 
little group, are listening to one oi Sir Walter Scott's 
tales, one of them will run up, and, hat in hand, smil- 
ingly inquire if "his Grace" would like a carriage. 



THE VIENNA CAB DEI VERS. m 



He who stalks stiffly cm, without paving any attention, 
is sure to hear a bantering voice answering for him : 
" Leave his Grace alone ; don't vou know the doctor 



It is very seldom that a Viennese cab driver grazes 
a carriage or other vehicle in passing; his facility is 
quite remarkable. It is commonly said that he can 
drive his carriage around a five-franc piece ; moreover, 
one never hears those torrents of mutual invective so 
common in the streets of Paris. In the Count of San- 
dor, who married a daughter of Prince Metternich, 
the Viennese cabmen recognized a superior, and un- 
covered respectfully before this celebrated whip. 
" Why, to see him drive the four horses of his car- 
riage," one of them was beard to say, one day, " you 
would think him a born cabman !" It sometimes hap- 
pens that very highly-placed individuals prefer a 
fiaher to their own carriages, the drivers of the for- 
mer being philosophers, in whose discretion the most 
entire confidence can be reposed. From time to time 
efforts have been made to put the Viennese cabmen 
into neat livery, and to transform them into a respecta- 
ble, well-conducted class, but without success. Home- 
sick for the free, Bohemian existence to which they are 
accustomed, they soon dispense with all their lately- 
acquired grandeur, and, returning to the battered 
stosser (a shiny, high hat), and red waistcoat of their 
choice, climb joyously back to their seats. 

It once happened that a very well-known cabmau, 



112 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

who, for thirty years or more, had driven the same 
carriage through the streets of Vienna, was summoned 
by a lawyer to his office. " I have to inform you," 
said the lawyer, " that you are not a coachman's son, 
as you have always supposed. I have papers that 
clearly prove your identity. You are a son of one of 
the aristocratic families of the capital. At your birth, 
on account of certain malformations, your parents ex- 
changed you, paying a certain sum of money to have 
the affair arranged. Thus it comes about that the son 
of the cabman B. is a Count, and the son of Count 
K. is a cabman. I have the means in my hands to 
restore you to all your rights of succession, of which 
this substitution has deprived you." 

" I am a cabman, and a cabman I will remain/' 
replied B., after taking a few moments for reflection. 
" No doubt it is a fine thing to be a Count ; but I had 
rather be a cabman, as I much prefer to have the blue 
sky over my head, rather than a gilded ceiling. Birds 
die when you put them in a cage. For my part, I 
want to live and sing a while longer." And he did, 
in fact, continue to live a cabman. 

A Viennese dramatic writer, Bauerle, took this inci- 
dent from real life for the foundation of a play, called 
"The Cab-driver Marquis," which had quite a 
success. 

It has not always been an easy matter to get about 
in Vienna, though some time at the end of the seven- 
teenth century there was a well-ordered company of 



SEDAN CHAIR ADVENTURE— OMNIBUSES. 113 

sedan-chair carriers established in the capital. By the 
hour a chair cost four cents, and for a whole day 
twenty cents. 

A story is told of Antoine Kuranda, who, having 
on one occasion taken a chair to go to a ball, suddenly 
felt the floor give way. The night was stormy, rain 
falling in torrents and a high wind blowing, so that all 
his efforts to make the porters hear were unavailing. 
He was obliged, therefore, to keep pace with them and 
plunge blindly through puddles and gutters, until the 
scene of the festivity was reached. When the unfor- 
tunate secretary was at last relieved, he was a melan- 
choly object — breathless, battered, and covered with 
mud from head to foot. 

The old omnibuses are divided into two compart- 
ments. In the first — the coupe — some regard to man- 
ners is expected ; the other is for smokers. There are 
no seats on top, and the conductor, in big boots and 
fur-edged cloak, stands on a raised step at the back. 
These forlorn old vehicles, lumbering, dirty, musty, 
unspeakable, seem to be the dubious offspring of an 
alliance between a rural diligence and a decayed berlin. 

Throughout this entire section of the Ring the street 
is a mass of vivid coloring ; to the sparkle of gay 
harnesses is added the glint and sheen of elegant toi- 
lettes, the rustle of silk and velvet, the glitter of 
brilliant uniforms. There is a movement, a life, a 
play of color, such as one sees in Fortuny's water- 
colors. The Ring is also the fashionable shopping 



114 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

street of the capital. There are to be found the 
jeweler.-' shops, the dealers in objds d 'art et de luxe, 
and the leading florists. 

In winter it is the custom to take the children to 
the Ring a little before noon. These little men, gotten 
up like Highlanders, and little ladies, dressed out like 
Empresses, bow to one another with all the airs of 
grown people, and talk like the puppets of a miniature 
theatre. Perhaps they have been to the ballet the 
evening before, and they gravely exchange opinions 
on the dancing. Fanfan Benoiton would be looked 
upon in these days as a very stupid little person 
indeed. 

The best time of all though to see the Ring is in 
the afternoon, between the hours of three and five, 
especially on a Sunday towards the end of autumn or 
in the beginning of spring. All the new toilettes are 
displayed, and people meet as they would in a salon. 
It is like being on the Prado at Madrid. There is 
nothing that quite corresponds to it in Paris, for the 
Ring is a place where all classes are to be seen — the 
great world, the demi mondc, the middle class, even 
the exclusive Court and diplomatic Set. A coupe 
draws up to the sidewalk, two valets, clad in long 
redingotes, stand by the door, and out gets a Princess 
or a Countess, and trips lightly off on her pretty feet 
to take a walk on the Rinir. The Prince Imperial 
used to walk there almost daily, notwithstanding the 
crowd that would follow him. and which evidently 



Emperor Francis Joseph 




-vwMif -^ 



THE EIXG A FASHIONABLE EESOET. 115 

annoyed him greatly. The Count of Andrassy, too, 
liked to saunter there, talking familiarly with his 
friends and smoking, his hands clasped behind his 
back. Xor did M. Gambetta fail to show himself on 
the Ring in '76, arm in arm with M. Etienne, director 
of the Nouvelle Presse libre. 

It is a famous place, moreover, for flirtations ; in 
that moving, shifting crowd eye seeks eye, and many 
things are said in that mute language that lovers 
understand. It is the hunting-ground for what has 
been called the " eye chase/' while every spoken lan- 
guage can be heard there, much as on the Tower of 
Babel. 

The number of idlers, loungers, dandies, first and 
second secretaries of legation, is incalculable, all armed 
with sticks and eye-glasses. Formerly, when Societv 
used to promenade on the ramparts, each individual 
was accompanied by a dog. The most fashionable 
breed was the milk-white or coal-black Pomeranian, 
with elongated muzzle. Xo man, with any pretension 
to style, could dispense with his " Spitzerl " ; and the 
do£ market was established close by the chicken 
market. 

One thing that always strikes a Parisian is the ab- 
sence of decorations. Among all this crowd of people 
not one is seen, for it is not considered good stvle in 
Vienna to wear decorations on the street, and thev make 
endless fun of persons who make this display of the 
trade-marks of knowledge or of merit, which, indeed, 



116 • VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

but too often are like Bordeaux labels fastened on 
bottles of "petit bleu." The elegants, in order to dis- 
tinguish themselves from ordinary everyday mortals, 
are quite content with a simple flower in the button- 
hole. 

There is no better place than the Ring in which to 
study the many and various types of the monarchy. 
Take your seat at the window of oue of the cafes and 
look. The spectacle is quite unique. To begin with, 
the crowd is as variegated as at a fair ground, and no 
where else does one find such handsome samples of the 
human race ; in no other spot do the women impress 
you as they do here. A party of young girls ad- 
vances ; the purity and grace of their outline? would 
arouse the envy of a Greek statue; their cheeks have 
the delicate tints of a tea-rose ; in their eyes are the 
deep shadows of the Orient ; the arched feet and 
light step indicate Hungarian blood. Their dress dis- 
plays a natural elegance of taste, while in their man- 
ner of walking there is something of the feline, sway- 
ino- grace of the Parisienne. The Slav women of 
Bohemia and Poland also possess that powerful charm 
— racial individuality ; they are large and strong of 
limb, with big, soft, black eyes, and skin like marble — 
a contrast at once poetical and unusual. They make 
one think of the swans of the North, or the White 
Nixies of the Netherlandish legends. Their features 
are finelv chiseled and intelligent, and underneath this 
icy mask there burns a fiery spirit. 



RACIAL CHARACTERISTICS OX THE RING. 117 

In this cosmopolitan assemblage one comes across 
Italians prattling in their melodious language, like 
swallows in a northern clime announcing the return 
of spring ; and then there is the pretty Viennese 
herself, with her taking manners, her little nose tilted 
into the air. and her arch glances. The Viennese 
women preserve their brilliant coloring even when 
they get old. and belong to that type of beauty — a 
trifle too robust, perhaps — which has been rendered 
classic by some of the Italian masters. 

Those women, decked out like the show windows 
of a jeweler's shop, with a slight down on the upper 
lip. little curls on the temples, ear-rings in the form 
of hoops, or little coffers or bells, are Jewesses 
bankers' wives and millionaires — weather-beaten ves- 
sels which have navigated every sea. and long since 
doubled Cape Tempest. But how handsome their 
daughters are ! and how expressive that Jewish cast 
of countenance and the great, full eves can be ! 

The Viennese men are large and strongly built. 
though one does not meet on the Ring those giants 
who are to be seen beneath the lindens of Berlin. 
The Viennese type of face is intelligent, frank and 
full of sprightly good humor. The Austrian race is 
an exuberant one. There is no country whose people 
have better blood in their veins. But. as lias already 
been pointed out. were it to be analyzed, a very -mail 
proportion of it would prove to be German. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Government Printing Office — Chromolithography — Destruction of 
Old Notes — Staid Character of the University Students— L - 
ing Newspapers and the State of the Austrian Press — Sums Paid 
for Press Influence in the Franco-Prussian War — The '"Revolver 
Pre-s " — "Personals" — The Story of M. X. — Society of the 
neordia' - — The Censorship — Mark Twain on the Newspaper 
Tax. 

The Singer Strasse leads in a southeasterly direc- 
tion from the end of the Graben. On the right is the 
old Government Printing Office 'the new one is on 
the Rennweg, near the BelvedN 

Here was born the chromolithographic art: taken 
up by private enterprise, it ultimately became one of 
the most flourishing branches of Viennese trade. A 
large force of workmen is constantly employed in the 
Government Printing Offices, from whence books are 
issued in nearly every language of the world. But 
the main work of the office is the printing of paper 
monev, stamp-, stamped envelopes and postal cards. 
The men employed in these departments are kept 
under a strict watch, and are carefully selected for their 
positions. Government employees make a minute in- 
spection of every impression, and register each fresh 
note in their books, as though it were the name oi a 

1 LS 



THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. H9 

newly-born infant. A great deal of the work consists 
in the renewal of torn and worn-out paper-money. 
The notes which return to the fold, after a life of 
wandering and vagabondage, in a condition that sug- 
gests that of the prodigal son, are locked into iron 
chests until their identity has been established — for it 
sometimes happens that among these sons of the house 
a bastard will slip in ; they are kept for two or three 
years and then burned. Several millions of florins 
will be cast into the flames in a single day. 

A number of years ago some enterprising individ- 
uals formed a company in Galicia, whose business it 
was to collect old revenue stamps and restore them to 
an appearance of virgin purity. As the value of some 
of these stamps amounts to as much as twenty dollars, 
the industry was a lucrative one ; but the chief of the 
printing office, M. de Beck, after many experiments, 
at length succeeded in discovering certain coloring 
matter that changed its hue as soon as it was brought 
into contact with an acid, and thus put a stop to the 
business. 

Before the University was moved, the neighborhood 
to the north corresponded to the Latin quarter of 
Paris, but at no period did its manners and customs in 
any way resemble those of the Faubourg Saint Michel. 
The academic citizen of Vienna is the most respectably 
prosaic of human beings; his young affections are cen- 
tred in his pipe and his schop, and the quarter he in- 
habits has the character of a small country town. 



120 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

On the AVollzeile are many of the leading newspaper 
offices. The Viennese press developed as suddenly and 
as rapidly as did that of America. Before 1848 the 
Austrians had neither Parliament nor Constitution, 
and hardly knew so much as the meaning of the word 
politics. Metternich would hear of no newspaper 
except the Augsburg Gazette, which he had bought 
himself, and in Vienna the only papers published were 
the Vienna Gazette and two or three little literary 
journals, which dangled from the points of the censor's 
scissors. " Ah, we were all very stupid in those days/' 
an old Viennese once plaintively observed ; u but we 
were very happy as well." 

On one occasion a writer, who was editing a small 
theatrical journal, alluded in an editorial to a certain 
portrait of Xapoleon, which he had seen in a private 
house; he treated it solely from an artistic standpoint. 
The article was suppressed. Why ? Because the name 
of Napoleon must not appear in print It was forbid- 
den to print Madame or Mademoiselle before the names 
of actresses, and the censorship, which exercised its 
functions even in the matter of fashion-plates, confis- 
cated those in which the cut of the corsage did not 
answer to their standards of decorum. 

On the very day that the liberty of the press was 
proclaimed iu Austria — that is. on the 20th of March, 
1848 — the first number of the Constitution appeared, 
edited by Leopold Ha?fner. Hsefner was a hat-maker. 
In order to lend a Parisian air to his hats, he hit upon 



LEADING NEWSPAPERS. ]21 

the device of stamping them with the well-known 
label, Jules Janin, a Paris. The brilliant critic little 
dreamed that his name served to distinguish most of 
the head-gear worn in the Austrian Empire, where he 
was supposed to be an especially excellent hat-maker. 
Such is fame. 

The Constitution burst upon the public like a bomb- 
shell, and soon had a tremendous circulation, due partly 
to the conditions of the hour, and partly to the indis- 
putable talent of the editor. Before long another paper 
was started — the Austrian Gazette, This was quickly 
followed by another and another, until, at the end of 
one year, there were no fewer than two hundred and 
seventeen papers in circulation. Among these, the 
Presse at once took a leading position, mainly by reason 
of the enterprise displayed by its editors in obtaining 
the earliest and most accurate news. This paper was 
founded by a well-known Parisian baker. He was 
the first to sell those admirable Viennese rolls. Hap- 
pening to fall in with M. Emile de Girardin, who had 
just completed his invention of a cheap printing press, 
M. Zang conceived the idea of furnishing food for the 
brain, as well as for the body. He went at once to 
Vienna, held out golden inducements to the two lead- 
ing editors of the Austrian Gazette to join him in the 
new enterprise, and the Presse became an immediate 
and brilliant success ; it paid its way almost from the 
start, and in a very short time large profits were real- 
ized. Great was the exasperation among the editors 



122 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

of all the rival papers, and reports were circulated in 
the capital that Zang had secret sources of income. It 
was easy enough, they declared, for him to dispense 
with subsidies, for had he not just inaugurated in 
Vienna the American and Mercantile Press? 

In the reaction that followed the revolution, all the 
Liberal newspapers were at first suppressed ; it was 
forbidden to print the words " Democracy/' " Revo- 
lution " or " Constitution." There was not even a 
conservative press, nothing but the official organs, 
edited in the ministerial bureaus. 

Presently, however, more reasonable counsel pre- 
vailed, and the dawn of a golden era broke for Aus- 
trian journalism. Herr Zang, the fortunate editor of 
the Presse, had his office besieged by important 
personages who humbly begged to be allowed 
the privilege of emptying their own portfolios into 
his. At the time of the Polish insurrection, this 
paper published a few sympathetic words concerning 
the skill exhibited by the insurgents; the Galician 
Poles thereupon sent the editor four handsome horses 
in testimony of their appreciation. Unfortunately these 
noble animals, though not in any way descended from 
the famous one of Troy, sewed the seeds of discord and 
treason. One of the most brilliant sub-editors, named 
Etienne, claimed his share of the reward, but Herr 
Zano;, who thought four horses not one too many to 
draw him and his fortune, would listen to no such 
suggestion, and Etienne, throwing the corner of his 



SUMS PAID FOR PRESS INFLUENCE. 123 

cloak across his shoulder with a tragic gesture, stalked 
off, muttering threats. 

A week later posters appeared in every street and 
alley of Vienna announcing a great new daily paper, 
the Neue Freie Presse — a cruel title for poor Zang. The 
public rose to the bait, and very soon the new Presse 
supplanted the old one. Thanks to the cleverness, 
real ability and Yankee shrewdness of Etienne, its 
editor-in-chief, no one who wished to be well informed 
could afford not to read the new paper, which was 
gotten up in the style of the Times, and before whose 
office princely equipages could be seen night and day, 
placed at the disposal of the editors and collaborators. 
Etienne, who had personal reasons for hating the 
Empire, plunged into a war to the death against the 
Napoleonic dynasty. It was said in Vienna that the 
Neue Freie Presse had demanded one million florins 
from Prussia as the price of its support, but, as a fact, 
it is much more probable that Herr Etienne, at a 
pinch, would have offered Bismarck that amount to 
push on to Sedan. 

On the eve of the breaking out of the Franco- 
Prussian war the director, or one of the directors of 
the French press, hastened to Vienna ; but what 
papers did he succeed in buying up? Those for which 
Prussia had no use. The Tages Presse, a paper with- 
out the smallest weight or importance, but which 
nevertheless was promised a hundred and twenty dol- 
lars a day ; one other insignificant sheet, which valued 



124 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE 

its services :: forty dollars a day, and the Jf 

sdtSy which was tc receive sixty Lollars every time 

it demonstrated, the super:;:::-" :: the ;.-..: 
the fusil a aigviUe. 

Prussia found that the influence wielded by her in 
Austria, through the m€ li im : the Vienna press, was 

aluable t be lisj msed with, and rhen th 
was vei she /:_> establish el there a branch of 

the famous "Bureau of Public Int illigen .-.-." the man- 
agement of which was in the hands of an indi- 
vidual wh was subs tljexpellc i thecapitaL 

If journalism does not ring honors in Vieni I 
" . st it is : : . roads by which the wealth that 

procures them is won. An - - I ited there 

in the same fashion as a commercial enterprise, a manu- 
ihocolate. The print::., presses 
must above all eke turn out money, a trick that the 
editors seem i mpletely to have mastered. In the 
Placht trial, which arcs it of s nest 

I Ith the foui _ ank, it w - 

that as much as thirty-five to osand fl rins had been 
expended to purchase the inf.:.:. f the leading 
paper? ■:' Vienna, the Presse and the h 

iving fifteen t - tor their 

When the Anglo-Bank launch I the Turkish -hares 
larg sums : - - literally 

1 These, and the foil a .- n from a work of Bro- 

ke, of Leir German j 



THE "REVOLVER PRESS." J25 

golden in this instance) of certain papers. Twelve, 
sixteen, and fifty thousand florins were paid respect- 
ively to the Fremdenblatt, the Faubourg Gazette and 
the Presse, while the Tagblatt, which had about the 
same circulation as the Petit Journal has in Paris, got 
in return for a very warm support thirty-two thousand 
florins — about sixteen thousand dollars 1 The term 
"revolver press" was especially invented to de- 
scribe the small journalists of Vienna, who have 
long practiced on the banks of the Danube a verit- 
able camorra. The staff of reporters attached to these 
papers is composed of spies (usually in the pay of Prus- 
sia), both by nature and by trade; in addition, there are 
a number of secret agents, brokers who deal in scandal 
and blackmail. Pay enough and you will be well 
treated — that is the simple rule by which this branch 
of journalism is conducted; it exists on reputations, 
made or lost with a stroke of the pen, and lurks for 
you in a corner of its newspaper, as other brigands do 
in the corner of a wood. 

The president of a large railway company, who had 
been repeatedly approached by one of these " revolver 
journalists," but without results, received one day, 
in a closed wrapper, a copy of a newspaper in which 
there was a racy account of some shady episodes in 
his own past. The article broke off Avith a promise 
to give the continuation in the next issue of the paper. 
The victim paid down his money and was let off. 
Another railroad magnate adopted, under similar cir- 



126 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE 

euinstanees, a totally different and. on the whole, more 
satisfactory method. A newspaper man came to his 
office and showed him the proof-sheets of a scandalous 
article: but. instead of receiving hush-money, he wj s 
kicked into the street, with the warning that, should 
he dare to print so much as a single line of it, he 
would be a-sassinated. The threat i >k effect 

In 1871 the edit r : fcy paper had the 

audacity to threaten a Court omcial with the publica- 
tion of a defamatory article, if he were nut given a 
certain sum uf money down, and the assurance of the 
same amount annually. The official brought suit, and 
the editor had four months in prison. 

In 1*72 a lady brought suit against a man of let- 
ters who threatened to wi licial romanc ; 
her family, in which all her relatives were to be put 
in the pillory. 

Woe to the debutante who refus - : come to terms 

bh the representatives of the^e papers. Reporters 
have been known to call at the house of a blushii _ 
maiden, and in a friendly, amicable way arrange with 
her family the sum which their spontaneous admi- 
ration was to cost Xumbers of artists pay a 
stipulated yearly sum for favorable criticisms of 
their work. 

X rices such as th:>se which are occasionally seen in 
the personal columns of American newspapers abound 
in all the Viennese papers. They are expressed in 
the most ingenuous lanoua2.'e. and are frank and con- 



"PERSONALS" IX THE NEWSPAPERS. 127 

fiding to an astonishing degree. Here are two. cut 
at random from some of the leading journals : 

" Hand and Heart are at the disposal of a rich lady, -willing to 
provide a handsome student of 22 with the means to complete his 
course of studies." 

" Listen, Men, Listen! — I am young and pretty, a slender bru- 
nette, and I wish to get married between now and the next Carnival. 
I have three hundred and fifty dollars, and those amiable qualities 
which are sure to make a man happy. I belong to the servant 
class, and if this fact does not deter you, offers can be sent to ' Bru- 
nette 20,' office of this paper. I would prefer an Hungarian Guards- 
man. Letters will be received until December 3d.'' 

I do not know to which ingenious nation we owe 

the invention of that useful institution, the Matri- 
monial Agency. At Vienna, just as at London, 
Berlin and Pari-, there are establishments whose 
business it is to provide persons with suitable mates. 
Fresh applicants are described in the papers like so 
much merchandise — age, color of the hair, whiteness 
of their souls and of their teeth, sweetness of their 
character; everything is set firth in the most alluring 
lan^uase. Here is one : 

" Marriageable Young Women. 

" At A. B.'s a large number of marriageable young women, in- 
cluding all ages and classes, witb portions ranging from 5u0 florins 
to 150,000 florins. Several wealthy yonng ladies, who wish to make 
love marriages. All communications absolutely confidential." 

Of course these advertisements are not always 



128 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

genuine, and sometimes practical jokes are played at 
the expense of a too confiding applicant. 

A notice once appeared in the Tagblatt signed 
M. X. It set forth that " a young girl of good family, 
ill-treated by her parents, would like to be abducted 
by a gentleman of distinction. Write to the office of 
this paper, under the initials K. V., and send photo- 
graph/' Among quite a number of replies that this 
ingenuous announcement called forth, there was one 
from an elderly officer, who begged for further par- 
ticulars — as to the age, fortune, condition and so forth 
of the unhappy maid. M. X. gave him any amount 
of information, more than he had asked for, and for 
the next three months there was a constant interchange 
of perfumed notes and protestations of undying affec- 
tion, the missives of M. X. being signed with the poetic 
name of Julia. One day the officer sent his adored 
unknown an order on a certain book store for two 
volumes of which he was himself the author ; they were 
two treatises on artillery. Julia, naturally anxious to 
do something in return for this delicate attention, in- 
vited him to ride bv a certain house on the following 
day. " I will be at the window with my brother, but 
be careful not to look too hard, for mv brother is a roujjh. 
creature, and would be perfectly capable of rushing out 
and picking a quarrel with you on the spot." At the 
appointed time M. X. called on the lady of the house 
and asked her to look out of the window with him at one 
of the archdukes who was to ride bv. The officer came 



THE STORY OF M. X. 129 

prancing down the street, but hardly had he smiled 
gallantly at the window, when M. X., with an angry 
look, ordered the lady away. The next day there 
came a letter full of ardor. Julia responded precisely 
to the idea he had formed of her, and he longed to call 
her his own. He enclosed two tickets for the opera ; he 
would occupy the next seat to hers, and they must then 
contrive to arrange for an elopement, as he was bent 
on making her his wife. The tickets were presented 
by M. X. to a lady of his acquaintance with a young 
daughter. " You may have an old gentleman for your 
neighbor," he told her, "who has fallen very much 
in love with your daughter." Sure enough; no sooner 
were they settled in their orchestra chairs, than the 
old gentleman began to sigh deeply, and to gaze at her 
with eyes full of tender feeling. Presently he at- 
tempted to take her hand. "Oh, Julia," he whis- 
pered, " how I love you ! A carriage will be waiting 
at the close of the performance, and nothing would be 
simpler than for me to carry you off." To which the 
girl replied in clear, loud tones that she did not know 
who he was, but that he was extremely impertinent. 

On the following day the elderly stranger appeared 
at the ladies' house and apologized. " I have been 
made the victim," he said, " of an odious trick, and I 
beg you to tell me who gave you the tickets you used 
last evening." The mother, who began to see through 
the matter, told him it was M. X. "Ah," said her 
visitor, " it was M. X., was it ? Allow me once more 
9 



130 VIENNA AXD THE VIENNESE. 

to express my sincere regrets for what has happened." 
And he marched off to the superintendent of police. 
M. X. was summoned ; but, on hearing the story, the 
official merely laughed, and the case was dismissed. 

The Viennese journalists are organized into a society 
called the Concordia ; the initiation fee is about fifty 
dollars, and the annual subscription fiye. They give 
a series of balls and entertainments in the winter, the 
proceeds from which are devoted to a general fund for 
the relief of needy members, and of the widows and 
orphans of those who die without means. 

The throttled condition of the Austrian press to-day 
is a source of wonderment to every foreigner who 
visits that country. 

"Political development," says a recent writer, "will 
have a hard struggle so long as the mediaeval press laws 
continue to exist. In no constitutional State in Europe 
are the conditions for free expression of opinion so un- 
favorable. Anything ' dangerous to public interests ' 
may be confiscated by administrative order, and the 
door is so open to official discretion that a quotation 
from the Bible might occasion the suppression of an 
issue. This censorship not only extends over the pub- 
lished statement, but also begins in preventive fashion 
before publication. Newspapers are accustomed to re- 
ceive notice from State's attorneys and police officials 
that certain matters are not to be touched upon, and 
the business is thus carried on in a manner in no sense 
judicial, but rather administrative and dictatorial. 



MARK TWAIN OX THE NEWSPAPER TAX. 131 

Moreover, the Government can regulate the criticism 
of its action by means of the license law. Official 
permission must be obtained before a newspaper can be 
started, and the character and political antecedents of 
the proposed publishers may easily cause the bureau 
of censorship to decide that another journal is unneces- 
sary to the welfare of the country. 

" On the top of this conies the stamp duty. On the 
margin of every copy of every unofficial paper you 
may observe a black seal, like our postal canceling 
stamp, which indicates that a fraction of a cent has 
been paid to the Austrian Government. This brings 
into the treasury about 1,300,000 florins every year as 
a direct tax on the educational interests of the country. 
Furthermore, the semi-official papers which publish 
legal notices are exempt from this duty, and can thus 
thrive at the expense of the others. Then it requires 
a special license to sell newspapers. The newsboy is 
unknown. Only at the scattered kiosks and certain 
other well-defined places can the journals of the day 
be bought when not taken by subscription. The result 
is good for the cafes, whither everybody flocks to read 
the news, but not for the general spread of intelli- 
gence." ! 

Mark Twain whimsically complains of the news- 
paper stamp tax. " Every American newspaper that 
reaches me has a stamp upon it, which has been pasted 
there in the post office, or down stairs in the hotel office; 
1 J. M. Vincent. Letter to The Nation, December, 1901. 



132 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

but no matter who put it there, I have to pay for it, and 
that is the main thing. Sometimes friends send me so 
many papers that it takes all I can earn that week to 
keep this Government going." The censor, he says, 
receives a copy of every paper at five o'clock in the 
morning. His clerks run through them, marking the 
suspicious paragraphs, and handing them over to him 
for inspection, and they are stricken out or left in, ac- 
cording to the state of his mind, or his temper, or his 
digestion. The clerks do not always hold the same 
views, and there is no time for consultation ; so it some- 
times happens that practically the same article which 
has been suppressed in one paper appears in full in 
another. The first one then quotes the article in full 
in its next edition, and explains why it is so late in 
appearing. The suppression of an article means, of 
course, that the entire edition must be reprinted, an 
expensive and vexatious business. It occasionally 
happens that after an issue has actually been distrib- 
uted, the censor pounces down upon it, the copies are 
sent for to the houses where they have been lei't, and 
destroyed. 

Again and again has this matter of the censorship 
of the press been brought forward in the House, but 
thus far with very little result. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Out-of-Door Life— Street Types — Pork Shops— Fruits and Vegetables 
— Show Windows — Street Arabs — Milk Women — Tyranny of the 
Portiers— The Door Tax— A Clever Trick— The Lottery— Cafes : 
Their Introduction into Europe — How Coffee was First Brought 
to Vienna — Increase of Cafes : Their Popularity To-day — The 
Evolution of the Waiter — Vienna Rolls — Cafe Damn — Eti- 
quette of the Restaurant — Wine Shops — Beer Kellers — The 
Esterhazy Keller — Austrian Wines — The Cuisine — Hotel Res- 
taurants — The Mehlspeisen— Suppers. 

Oxe hardly remembers to feel fatigue in Vienna. 
The streets are so full of life and animation, and there 
is so much to amuse and distract the mind, that the 
body is well nigh forgotten. Places, quite as much 
as individuals, have a physiognomy of their own — 
pleasing or otherwise — which attracts or repels at 
first sight. That of Vienna is distinctly attractive. 

These gay, careless, gregarious people live in public. 
Get up as early as you will during the spring and 
summer months, and you will find the streets and 
parks and gardens and restaurants already gay with 
life and bustle. 

In the open air and the sunshine the citizens are 
breakfasting or reading or love-making, with the 
same degree of cheerful indifference to the public eye. 



134 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

The street types are varied and picturesque. There 
is the Slav tinman, with his load of saucepans, mouse- 
traps and salad-baskets — his wide hat, his tattered 
bunda, and his feet wrapped about with strips of 
cloth ; the Bohemian musician, wandering from the 
courtyard of one house to that of another, his violin 
or guitar tucked under his coat ; then the slight, grace- 
ful young girls employed in the laundries, whom one 
sees flying along with hands on their hips and a sort 
of yoke on their backs ; apple and onion hucksters, 
who carry their wares in baskets on their heads, and 
cry them from door to door. They are called " Kroa- 
tins," though they are no more natives of Croatia than 
are the little sausages sold at the street-corners a pro- 
duct of Frankfurt, though these are always called 
" Frankfurt sausages." At Frankfurt the compli- 
ment is returned in kind, and there they go by the 
name of " Vienna sausages." They are eaten with 
the fingers, like cakes, and are as dear to the hearts 
of the Viennese as is macaroni to the hearts of the 
Neapolitans. 

Devoted as the Viennese are to every form of pork, 
any one coming direct from France cannot tail to be 
struck by the contrast presented in the arrangement 
of the pork-merchants' windows. Here we find no 
ruby or topaz-colored jellies sparkling in their glass 
cases; no fine, appetizing hams display their pink 
outlines against a background of pale sausages. Fra- 
grant truffles, punctuating the white paper linings of 



The Prater 



FRUITS AND VEGETABLES— SHOW WINDOWS. 135 

their dainty baskets with little black dots, are un- 
known ; golden pates do not tempt the passer-by ; the 
sausages are not dressed out in silver pantalettes, 
like tight- rope walkers in the circus; and the propri- 
etor himself, divested of the long white apron, reach- 
ing from the shoulders down to the ground, has not 
that solemn air of a sacrificing priest which distin- 
guishes his Parisian brother. 

The same difference is noticeable between the fruit 
and vegetable shops of the two cities. Those in 
Vienna are dark, smoky holes, with no pyramids of 
fruit arranged on foundations of green moss; no 
chaplets of pink onions, or heaps of tender-hearted 
lettuce ; no glowing melons so arranged as to stand 
out in relief, like bands of gold braid, against the 
vivid green of the young peas. All these clear and 
brilliant hues, which are to be found in extinct nature, 
seem to disappear as soon as one leaves France. 

Apart from the show in the jewelers' windows, and 
the meerschaum pipes, nothing but the display of 
coffins in the rue de Carinthie is worthy of especial 
notice in the Viennese shop windows. 

It would seem as though the Viennese were desirous 
of imparting something cheerful even to the idea of 
death itself — of transforming a dreary object into 
something almost attractive. Their coffins are of the 
finest workmanship, covered with carving and stained 
to look like rosewood or tortoise shell ; they are 
closed with gilded clasps, and might almost be mis- 



136 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

taken for pieces of furniture, clothes-presses, chests, 
or even musical boxes. 

The Viennese street Arab is the " Schusterbub " — 
that is, the cobbler's apprentice. He has the usual 
characteristics of his kind — impudence, effrontery, 
intrepidity. He is ready to do one a good turn, or a 
bad one, as the fancy takes him. One encounters 
him constantly on the street, his hair flying, the end 
of an old cigar between his teeth, his shirt-sleeves 
rolled up to the shoulder, one hand slipped behind 
the strap of his gaping apron, the other clasping a 
pair of shoes. He gets over the ground as nimbly in 
his ancient slippers as though he were shod in pumps, 
and he is the terror and scourge of the milk-women 
and portiers. 

The milk- women look as though they had just 
stepped off the stage. They wear bright, canary- 
colored gowns, aprons as white as their own milk, 
small blue shawls with red spots, crossed over dark- 
colored jackets, and their pretty, fresh-colored faces 
are surrounded by a frame of dark, curly hair, kept 
within bounds by a red silk handkerchief, knotted 
under the chin. 

It is the never-failing joy and delight of the " Schus- 
terbub " to overturn by a single, quick, adroit move- 
ment of the foot either the tin milk-cans or the por- 
tier's pan of sweepings. All the Viennese portiers 
are not gotten up in carnival costume. Those of the 
middle-class establishments wear light blue, long- 



THE DOOR TAX— A CLEVEE TRICK. 137 

tailed coats, red waistcoats and long striped or 
checked black trousers. In the morning they may be 
seen at the entrance to their courtyards, carrying their 
brooms with as much majesty as Charlemagne wielded 
his sword. At ten o'clock at night they emerge, clad 
in long; flowered dressing-gowns, with a key in one 
hand and a lantern in the other. They then proceed 
to enact the part of St. Peter. The institution of the 
Cordon does not exist in Vienna. The door can be 
opened only by unlocking it, and every time the 
portier is called up for that service he must be paid. 
Up to midnight the tariff is ten kreutzers (four cents 
and a fraction) ; after that it is twenty to thirty, accord- 
ing to the hour. If one pays a number of calls in an 
evening, he pays first to get in and then to get out. 
As the hour of ten draws. near, whole families may be 
seen hurrying out of the theatres and beer-houses, 
and hastening with eager steps in all directions, in 
order to escape the doorkeeper's tax. 

One is reminded of the story told by Yillemot of 
a Parisian portier endowed with the same thrifty in- 
stincts as his Viennese brothers. A reveler, returning 
one night at a. very late hour indeed, found the door 
fastened, while a muffled voice from within announced 
that the" hour for the Cordon was passed. " J'ouvre a 
la clef" (five francs). 

' The belated one pleaded earnestly, but argument 
and entreaty alike failed to make any impression on 
the stony heart on the other side of the door. The 



138 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE, 

portier would not even modify his demand. The 
entire amount, or he would go back to bed. At last, 
dispirited by the icy wind, the wanderer slid a five- 
franc piece beneath the door, and instantly it swung 
open. But now the scene changes. The late sup- 
pliant was young and powerful ; the portier was 
neither; and in the twinkling of an eye the latter 
found himself spinning around in a circle, the result 
of this evolution being to land the portier without and 
the other within the now fast-closed door. 

" M. Gustave," came in pleading accents through 
the keyhole, " it is most unkind of you to treat me so ! 
lam in my night- shirt ; the Engineer-Chevalier's 
thermometer registers but sixteen degrees. I declare 
to you, on my word of honor, that I am far from 
well ; this is really so. I have coughed frequently 
during the day." 

" My friend," came back the answer, " you know 
the rules of this establishment. The time for the 
Cordon is passed. Touvre a la clef" (ten francs). 

"But, my dear M. Gustave, how am I to get ten 
francs in this costume ? I have no money about me.'' 

"Very well: slip under the five francs /slipped 
under a few minutes ago. I will give you credit for 
the other five." 

If the Viennese householders would only conspire 
for one night and follow the manoeuvres ot M. Gus- 
tave, this outrageous tax — this levy that recalls the 
pleasant customs of the mediaeval barons — would dis- 



THE LOTTERY. 139 

appear in the course of twenty-four hours, and the 
portiers would no longer - have the laugh entirely on. 
their side. 

Every now and then a sound of martial music is 
heard in the street ; every one runs to the window to 
watch the regiment returning from drill, while small 
boys, idlers — every one who has any time to waste — 
fall in behind and march with it, keeping step, often 
arm in arm, as far as the barrack. 

A people as open to impressions as are the Viennese, 
and who are as readily carried away by anything that 
catches the eye or the ear, are naturally unable to 
•resist the seductions of street placards. A great 
deal of science is devoted to the construction of those 
enormous posters, red, blue, white, yellow, that line 
the walls and flare out from every street-corner. On 
a ball advertisement will be. seen an airy danseuse, 
wafting you a kiss from the toe of her slipper; while 
a lottery notice displays a cornucopia-horn of abun- 
dance, overflowing with golden ducats. 

Throughout the entire Austro-Hungarian State the 
Government sustains the lottery system, and derives 
large profits from it. A glass door, beside it a black- 
board covered "with rows of white figures, and a group 
of absorbed, wide-eyed women — by these signs you 
recognize the lottery office. Every few moments a 
daughter of Eve, incited by the devil, swallows the 
bait, and seizing the number that has tempted her, 
rushes in to have it registered by an official who is 



140 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

stationed behind a wooden grating within the office. 
But paying your ten or twenty kreutzers for a ticket is 
by no means the end of the matter. It must be kept 
going. Now, to support a ticket entitling the holder 
to take part in all the drawings is about as costly as 
to support a child. In its practical workings the 
lottery is an encouragement to idleness and a discour- 
agement to thrift ; for the working classes it takes the 
place of the savings-bank, only with the difference 
that they never get their deposits back. 

The feature that strikes a stranger in Vienna more 
perhaps than any other is the extraordinary number 
of cafes one sees. They must mount up far into the 
thousands. One could fancy himself in an Oriental 
town. 

Coffee was introduced in Europe by sailors and 
merchants trading with the East. A cafe was opened 
in Marseilles in 1654, just two years after the first 
one had been established in London. 

An English merchant, named Edwards, trading 
with Turkey, brought back with him to London, in 
1652, a Greek servant, who was in the habit of mak- 
ing coffee daily for his master. Visitors who hap- 
pened in at the time were served with it as well, and 
soon came to like it so much that they flocked in 
crowds, to the great inconvenience of the merchant. 
In order to put a stop to this, Mr. Edwards set 
his servant up in a public coffee house, in St. 
Michael's Alley, Cornhill ; the sign, which displayed 



INTRODUCTION OF COFFEE IN VIENNA. 141 

a portrait of the Greek, announced that he was 
" the first who made and publicly sold coffee drink in 
England." 

By 1675 the number of coffee houses had increased 
so rapidly as to alarm Charles II., who considered 
them hotbeds of sedition, and by his orders they 
were closed. 

The following account of the causes which led to 
the introduction of coffee into Vienna, while perhaps 
a little amplified, is, in its main facts, correct enough. 
In July, 1683, the Turkish army, under the Grand 
Yizier, Kara Mustapha, completed the investment of 
Vienna, and the siege of the city began. For two 
months the inhabitants, under the able command of 
Rudiger Count Starhemberg, were able to hold out; 
but at length, reduced by illness and weakened by 
famine, they seemed to have reached a point where 
further resistance was useless. The enemy had gained 
possession of the outworks, and the urgent messages 
sent to the Imperial army under the Duke of Lor- 
raine and John Sobieski, to come to the aid of the 
garrison, had no effect. Apparently the generals were 
unable to comply, while in some instances the messen- 
gers fell into the hands of the Turks and were hung, 
in full sight of the besieged, as a warning. The story 
goes that at this crisis a young Pole, named Georges 
Kulczycki, asked permission to speak to the Governor 
General. Kulczycki was a strong, active and very 
handsome youth of twenty-three. He had a shop on 



142 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

the Leopold Strasse, but had served as a volunteer in 
Frank's Free Company. 

" What do you want ? " asked Count Starhemberg, 
who was found walking up and down, plunged in 

anxious thought. 

© 

" To be allowed to communicate with the Imperial 
army. I will undertake to let them know what our 
situation is." 

"The Turks will hang you sky-high !" answered 
Starhemberg; and he resumed his uneasy march up 
and down. 

" No, they won't hang me," said the Pole. 

" Why should they spare you any more than any 
one else ? " 

" Because I don't intend to be hung." 

© 

" Have you a talisman ? " 

" Well, I will manage them/' 

" You really want, then, to go into the enemy's 
lines ? " asked the Governor, stopping and looking 
attentively at the young man. 

"I will go through them; and I engage to cany a 
message from you to the army, and to bring back a 
report of my mission." 

Starhemberg reflected a moment, and then said : 

" Very well, then, go ! But what reward do you 
expect, in case you succeed ? " 

" None. All I ask is the honor of being of use to you." 

"Good! I will give you my dispatches to-night. 
You may go now, and may God be with you ! M 



THE POLISH SPY, KULCZYCKI'S COUP. 143 

That night, in the midst of a terrible storm that 
was raging in Vienna and throughout the neighbor- 
hood, the daring Pole, accompanied by a servant who 
had been with him in the East, slipped quietly out of 
the capital. Both men were disguised as Turks. The 
next morning they were in the enemy's camp, and 
were promptly taken before an Aga, to give an 
account of themselves. Kulczycki fluently explained 
that he was a merchant of Belgrade, and that his 
object in comiug to the camp was to propose the estab- 
lishment of a market to supply the Turkish army. 
This novel idea appealed to the Aga, who, saying that 
he would submit it to the heads of the army, ordered 
the two visitors to be given food and drink, and 
warned them not to wander far beyond the limits of 
the camp, as the outposts of the Imperial forces had 
advanced as far as the foot of the Leopoldberg. 

This information was precisely what Kulczycki 
wanted. He managed to communicate with a soldier 
of the Christian army, without arousing the suspicions 
of his hosts, and in two days returned safely to 
Vienna, bringing the welcome news that an attack 
on the Turkish camp would be made at once. The 
attack resulted in the complete rout of the Mussulman 
host, the Turks retreating in such haste and panic that 
their abandoned camp was found to contain quantities 
of rich booty, besides many pieces of artillery, a num- 
ber of ensigns and a standard. Among other things, 
a great quantity of sacks, filled with small, hard, 



144 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

greenish grains, were seized. Shortly afterwards 
Starhemberg sent for the young Pole who had been of 
such signal service, and insisted upon his accepting 
some sort of recompense. The young man agreed, and 
asked for the sacks of grain. 

" Certainly," said the Governor, " you may have 
them ; but what will you do with them ? " there- 
upon Kulczycki told him how, according to tradition, 
a certain dervish, having been driven out of his con- 
vent at Mecca, in the thirteenth century, had taken 
refuge in a neighboring cave, where he had kept 
himself alive by chewing the grains of a wild plant 
called kahhoa. As the taste was raw and bitter, he tried 
roasting them, and then steeping them in hot water, 
finally obtaining a delicious beverage. The news of this 
discovery at last reaching the ears of the authorities, it 
was taken as a sign of divine favor; the dervish was 
restored to his convent, and the use of coffee soon be- 
came general — " as," added Kulczycki, "it soon will 
become here, when people have once learned to like 
it." 

In addition to the bags of coffee, the grateful city 
presented him with a house, and the Pole set to work 
to establish his business. At first he went from house 
to house, carrying his cups of coffee on a tray ; but as 
the drink became more and more popular, he opened a 
shop where his customers could be served at all hours, 
calling it " The Sign of the Blue Bottle."' There was not 
a spot in Vienna as popular as this modest resort. In 



INCREASE OF CAFES IN VIENNA. 145 

the rear of the common room was a great fireplace, 
where the water boiled merrily in copper vessels ; long 
wooden benches ran along the walls ; there were no 
tables ; the customers either held their cups or placed 
them on the bench beside them. Two swinging 
lamps lighted the apartment, and the host, chibouk in 
mouth, walked up and down, beaming with satisfaction 
and contentment. Every evening a distinguished com- 
pany gathered in the little inn. Count Starhemberg, 
Marc Avian — Sobieski's Capuchin confessor, who had 
stood upon the heights of the Kahlenberg on the eve 
of the battle and blessed the Christian hosts — Prince 
Eugene of Savoy, and the popular poet Augustin, 
were among its patrons. 

After Kulczycki's death, in 1703, a number of cafes 
were opened, and later on Vienna was attacked with 
a species of Turkomania; only Turkish pipes and 
Turkish tobacco were smoked ; the elegants wore 
Turkish dressing gowns, and the masked balls saw 
nothing but Turkish costumes. Turkish music be- 
came the rage ; it was the Wagner music of the day, 
and nothing but drums and cymbals satisfied the 
musical taste of society. The walls of the cafes were 
hung with pictures of languishing odalisks, dark-eyed, 
and with marvelous lashes, who reclined on heaps of 
cushions, with narghillas uncoiled at their feet. 

In 1778 a wealthy bookseller opened a literary cafe 
in his own dwelling, where not only all the current 
literature published in most of the modern languages 
10 



146 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

was to be found, but political pamphlets as well ; and 
even Voltaire's works were sold, though not openly. 

At the present day every one frequents the cafes in 
Vienna — men and women, soldiers, priests, children. 
The cafe is the centre of social life; there business 
is discussed and bargains concluded. One goes to the 
cafe to hear the news, to criticise the Government, to 
pass judgment on a new book or on the latest play. It 
corresponds to the Forum of the ancients. By four 
o'clock it is hard to find a vacant place ; every one in 
the capital is drinking coifee, some in their own homes, 
but the majority in the cafes, where indeed the quality 
of the beverage is excellent and the seryice of the very 
very best, superior to anything you can find elsewhere. 

The Viennese waiter is, in fact, the king of his craft, 
a model for all his brethren, and in great demand 
throughout Germany, by reason of his brisk ways, 
pleasant manners, his good humor and honesty. His 
training begins early, when, as an apprentice, his duty is 
to serve the customers with beer. The objects of his 
ambition at this stage is to carry a phenomenal number 
of frothing beer-mugs in each hand, and to duck in and 
out among waiters and guests without dropping any of 
these or spilling their contents. Notwithstanding the 
dignity of the swallow-tailed coat in which he is 
arrayed, he is a forlorn, unkempt, negleeted-looking 
little object, without the pale of all but the minimum 
of fees or consideration of any kind. Having j^erved 
his apprenticeship, he is promoted to be a waiter, and 



VIENNESE WAITERS— VIENNA EOLLS. 147 

a remarkable change at once becomes apparent. Now 
his coat must be well brushed, his linen clean, his dis- 
heveled little mop is carefully smoothed and parted ; 
he dons a low-cut waistcoat, and his long practice in 
the art of carrying brimming beer-mugs enables him 
soon to acquire a similar facility in the matter of 
plates and dishes. The next promotion places him in 
the rank of those who serve only the most distinguished 
guests, receive the largest fees and attend to the money ; 
and the topmost rung of the ladder is reached with 
the appointment of general overseer. This important 
functionary stalks majestically about in a short coat — 
he has passed beyond the swallow-tail — overlooking 
the conduct of every detail of the establishment, and 
thoroughly competent, by reason of his long course 
of training, to keep his subordinates up to their duty. 

The moment a stranger enters a Viennese cafe, the 
waiter recognizes his nationality, and, with a cheerful 
alacrity quite devoid of obseqiousness, hastens to bring 
him the French, Hungarian, Italian papers, as the 
case may be ; if the guest happens to be a Russian, 
he will also place a box of cigarettes at his elbow. 
The cafe is really a reading room as well, where as 
many as a dozen copies of each of the leading papers 
are taken. Coffee served with milk is called a " me- 
lange;" with very little milk it is a "capuziner," and 
the Viennese usually eats a roll or some little cakes 
with it. 

The roll industry is a large and flourishing one in 



148 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Austria, and the variety manufactured is very great. 
You can have a " milk-roll," or a " butter-roll/' or a 
u raisin-roll," or a "powdered sugar-roll," or any 
one of many other kinds of rolls. Sometimes they 
are used for trials of capacity ; the two competitors, 
seated opposite one another at a small table, try which 
of them can eat the greater number. He who is out- 
distanced has to pay the bill. 

The Cafe de l'Europe, on the Stephans Platz, is the 
one most frequented by foreigners. The gilded youth 
of the capital patronize the gorgeous new cafes of the 
Ring. Formerly the great resort of the aristocratic 
portion of the army, the diplomats and all the leading 
lights, was the famous Cafe Daum, No. 16 Kohl- 
markt. In each one of its half-dozen or so rooms 
there assembled a particular clique — the military in 
one, the diplomats in another, writers in another, and 
so on. The Ministers sat in the main apartment, dis- 
cussing the next day's news in whispers, or repeating 
yesterday's scandal. The vicissitudes of this cafe fol- 
low the same lines as the history of Austria itself. 
Before the revolution of 1S48, one saw there no one 
but solemn bureaucrats, engaged in the perusal of the 
Gazette, the Observer, or the Journal of the Theatres. 
From time to time a sally of the witty Saphirs would 
cause a fleeting smile to lighten up their wooden fea- 
tures. In those happy days there was no talk of 
Schleswig. nor of United Italy ; still less of United 
Germany. Bismarck was as vet unfamous. 



VICISSITUDES OF THE CAFE DAUM. 149 

The company talked to one another in hushed tones 
of the speech that had just been delivered before the 
French Chambers. But at last an unhappy day dawned 
when Vienna bristled with barricades, and the Cafe 
Daum underwent a sudden and violent transformation ; 
its quiet rooms were invaded by members of the Legion, 
with cockades stuck in their hats, representatives of 
the people, in costumes of every hue, braided down all 
the seams, and wearing Hessian boots and carrying 
sabres ; " Young Czechs," Poles, Hungarians, celebri- 
ties of twenty-four hours, a tattered, eager crowd, 
among whom numbers of women could be seen, clad 
in the garb of the Revolution. Noise, confusion, ex- 
clamations, shouts, scenes like those witnessed in the 
cafes of the boulevards during the Commune. Reac- 
tionary circulars were seized, torn in pieces and tram- 
pled under foot. Excited orators mounted the tables 
to deliver their harangues. On one occasion the poet 
Zeidlitz, the Austrian Koerner, Avas bold enough to de- 
claim, in the Cafe Daum, his Soldiers of Liberty, not- 
withstanding the strophe in it addressed to the mur- 
derers of Latour. To these wild days of storm and 
excitement followed the comparative tranquillity of the 
siege. The Cafe Daum then became the headquarters 
of the military authorities. Again solemn, immovable- 
looking individuals, with stiff collars, closely-cut hair 
and eye-glasses, took possession of its little tables. 
Before the doors there was always a group of officers 
lounging, glass in eye, a cigar between the lips, en- 



150 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

gaged in the absorbing duty of scanning every woman 
who passed by. After the battle of Solferino the charac- 
ter of the habitues changed again. It was then fre- 
quented entirely by civilians, physicians, lawyers, bank- 
ers, artists, men of letters ; and, after theatre hours, by 
processions of black-coated deputies, and diplomats 
covered with orders. Frequently the discussions went 
on till morning; for in Vienna the cafes are allowed to 
remain open as long as the customers choose to remain. 
The cafes and wine-shops are indeed second homes for 
the citizens, many of whom spend a large proportion 
of their time in them. The patrons are divided into 
two classes — the stammc/iiste, or habitues, and the lau- 
fende, or transients. The habitues of the wine-shops 
are called wirthskausbruder (tavern brothers); certain 
tables are set aside for their use, and woe to any one 
who has the temerity to seat himself at one of them. 
There are men who for thirty years have settled them- 
selves down daily at the same hour on the same chair, 
to drink the same wine or beer, from the same glass, 
read the same newspaper, and smoke the same tobacco 
from the same pipe. The stamniyade are favored 
guests; they are better and more promptly served than 
the transients, enjoy a certain amount of considera- 
tion from the waiters, and they usually spend two or 
three hours of every day in the cafe, wine-shop or beer 
cellar of their choice. A terrible waste of time or 
money, some one says. Well, so it is ; but the Viennese 
is neither close nor calculating, and has adopted for his 



THE VIENNESE WINE-SHOPS. 151 

maxim a German phrase, which seems to have been 
expressly in vented for him, Leben und sich leben lassen 
— Live and let live. Where could one find a more 
amiable code of philosophy, or a more frankly idle 
people ? 

The architecture of the larger Viennese wine-shops 
is somewhat Babylonish in style. In those which are 
under ground the pillars and ceilings are lost to sight 
amid thick clouds of smoke rising night and day from 
innumerable pipes and cigars, and the atmosphere is 
suffocating, and laden with a strong smell of cooking. 

The scene is a changing one, full of interest and life. 
Here are a group of officers coming in, there a file of 
employees passing out. The newspaper agent, with a 
pile of damp sheets hanging over his arm, and the ped- 
dler of pamphlets, illustrated papers and popular songs, 
circulate about among the tables. A peddler, with a 
quantity of neckties and paper collars, has been known 
to do a lively business in a cafe, some of his patrons 
changing their collars on the spot. Italians, with 
baskets of plaster figures of bellicose warriors, flour- 
ishing their swords in the air, or maidens timidly 
counting the petals of a marguerite, pass like the figures 
in a procession. Photographers spread out before you 
pictures of the prettiest of the Viennese actresses; 
while above all the stir and movement arises the loud 
hum of many voices, the clinking of glasses, the rattle 
of forks and plates. The Austrians wherever they eat 
have the air of being at a banquet. 



152 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

The kellers are a notable feature, as famous in their 
way as the best known kellers of Leipsic, or Ham- 
burg, or Bremen. One goes to them to drink wine 
and eat " delicatessen," pates, oysters, caviar, smoked 
fish, Westphalia ham, and so on. The most famous 
of these establishments is the Esterhazy Keller, open 
daily from eleven to one and from five to seven. This 
black, subterranean hole is provided with neither 
tables nor chairs ; greasy benches run along the walls, 
and a few flickering candles send their feeble rays 
into the gloom. The most varying types of counte- 
nance meet the eye through the obscurity. Close by 
sits a workman, enveloped in a long, threadbare coat, 
its short sleeves displaying the dirty cuffs beneath. 
He is dining off a " half pint," and a cold cutlet, 
which he takes from his pocket, wrapped in a bit of 
newspaper. Xext to him sit a couple of soldiers on 
leave. With a big, stout girl between them, they are 
in great spirits, and the lady is obliged to throw her 
head well back, so convulsed is she with laughter at 
the humorous ways of her two cavaliers, one of whom 
has just poked her in the ribs, while the other is in 
the act of pinching her leg. Further along is a very 
old man, a veritable living skeleton, seeking to ex- 
tract from the soul of the grape a last impulse of 
warmth and life. There are any number and all 
varieties of women, some wearing black shawls, others 
in a "caraco" or dressing-sacque ; some wear bonnets 
or hats, others are bareheaded ; some are young, 



THE ESTERHAZY KELLER. 153 

with brilliant teeth and sparkling eves; others old, 
bent, haggard, wrinkled, with shaking heads and 
scrawny necks, clutching with hands like talons their 
measures of wine. In one corner a tippler, with 
outstretched legs and sunken arms, mutters indis- 
tinctly. He is seated on his hat, a pipe is between 
his teeth, and his cravat has come untied, the ends 
hanging limply down. 

At the end of the apartment a somewhat more 
brilliant illumination displays the counter — a dirty 
board, covered with drops of tallow, and supported 
on two hogsheads. Behind this barrier, which takes 
the place of a table, a clerk is seated on a straw- 
bottomed chair. He wears a cap drawn down over 
the eyes and iron-rimmed spectacles ; before him lies 
a ledger ; on his right is a bottle of ink, on his left 
a jug of wine, while a damp handkerchief and a 
snuff-box lie close at hand. It is this individual's 
duty to take in the money and to register every glass 
of wine that is sold. Two men in shirt-sleeves stand 
behind the counter, busily employed in washing and 
refilling the glasses. Through the gloom one can faintly 
distinguish the outlines of two rows of hogsheads, 
ranged along the wall like so many sphynxes, and 
in front of the counter picturesque groups of men in 
rags, gentlemen in fur- trimmed coats, foreigners, vaga- 
bonds and pickpockets, all illumined, without distinc- 
tion of class or degree, by the yellow, flickering rays 
of the candles. " Beware of pickpockets ! " (or its 



154 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

German equivalent) is posted up at the entrance. So 
brisk is the custom that one has to fall into line to 
reach the counter and get one's glass, the money for 
which is taken then and there. Children slip be- 
tween one's legs, holding bottles which they bring 
to have filled, and servants of wealthy establishments 
enter, carrying baskets, for the wine of the Esterhazy 
Keller is well known for its excellent quality. A 
vendor of sausages and black bread presents his 
basket and urges his wares upon you. In a corner 
of the apartment you can see his stewpan boiling 
away, and throwing out little jets of steam, like a 
teakettle. Every one smokes and spits and joins in 
the general conversation ; through the buzz and hum 
is heard the occasional crack of a sausage-skin. What 
a smell ! The atmosphere is thick with a mixture 
of strong odors, among which the smell of wine, 
and of damp clothing drying on human bodies, pre- 
dominate. 

The " Consolation " the " Assommoir," the zinc 
counter, do not exist in Vienna. There are a few 
liquor-shops, but they hide away out of sight, as 
though ashamed of themselves. Brandied plums and 
cherries and green oranges, as well as absinthe, are 
hardly to be had anywhere. In the wine-shops there 
is a " tasting room " — something like the public room 
of an inn ; but as the proprietors are not permitted to 
keep a restaurant, they cannot have either table-cloths 
or napkins. You are given, instead of the latter. 



AUSTKIAX WINES— VIENNA CUISINE. 155 

pretty bits of tissue paper, stamped with vignettes of 
the liveliest and most appetizing subjects. 

Austro-Hungaiy can boast of some fifteen different 
native wines. Charles IV. introduced some vines 
from Burgundy into the country. In lower Austria 
the grape can be cultivated as high up as two thou- 
sand metres above the level of the sea ; and the 
Garnpoldskircken, Voeslau, Ivlosterneubourg compare 
favorably with the wines of Burgundy and some of 
the Rhine wines. In the lower Tyrol, Vorarlberg, 
Styria, Carinthia, Moravia, Illyria, Dalmatia, Hun- 
gary, Transylvania, Croatia, and the military districts, 
excellent wines are manufactured, which in the Slav 
provinces form the habitual drink of rich and poor 
alike. The Slav race is indeed stronger and more 
active, as well as better looking, than the purely 
German race, rendered heavy by the consumption of 
much beer. 

It is rather difficult for a foreigner to get good food 
here, and yet Vienna ranks second only to Paris in 
culinary matters. The truth is that the Vienna 
cuisine, as well as its people, is international ; but 
foreigners, unless they be particularly well up in 
philology, etymology and the kindred sciences, have 
considerable difficulty in unraveling the mysteries of 
an Austrian menu. 

The best restaurants are those in the hotels. Most 
hotels are provided with no fewer than three : one in 
the basement for coachmen and others of that class, 



156 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

another on the ground floor, patronized by the Vien- 
nese, and a third upstairs, used principally by foreign- 
ers. The table d'hote system is not in general use. all 
the meals being served a la carte. For the sum of 
fifty cents you get a dish of meat, a vegetable and a 
sweet dish ; this last, the mehlspeisen, represents the 
great achievement of the Viennese cuisine. What 
endless variety, what originality, is displayed in the 
preparation of those delicate jam tarts, chocolate puffs, 
or rice paddings soaked in red wine ! The dinner 
hour is from three to four o'clock, and the supper hour 
fr<>m seven to eleven. The theatres let out at ten 
'v. after which every one has supper. The res- 
taurants overflow with customers. The respectable 
Viennese papa, who wishes to give his wife and chil- 
dren a treat, takes them first to a theatre and then to 
a restaurant for supper. The evening would not be 
a success were this last to be omitted, and the pleas- 
ure, as well as the cost, is just doubled thereby. 



CHAPTER IX. 



In the heart of the city, close to the Stephans 
Platz. is seen the famous Stock im Eisen. It is the 
trunk of an old larch, standing some twelve or fifteen 
feet high, girdled with an iron band and closed with 
a strong lock. Into the stump nails have been driven 
so close together that the surface is now a solid plate 
of iron. 

The legend of this " iron trunk " runs as follows : 

About the year 1450 there stood on the Markt 
Platz an ancient house, of gloomy and forbidding 
appearance. From daybreak to nightfall a thick cloud 
of black smoke hovered over its gabled roof, while 
the sound of heavy blows on the anvil, the scraping 
of files, the deep breathing of two enormous pairs of 
bellows, and the roar of a monster furnace, combined 
to produce a truly infernal din. which fairly shook the 
earth for some distance around. The house belonged 
to Erhard Marbacher, locksmith in chief of the city 
of Vienna. 

Master Marbacher was a fat man, with hard, red 
cheeks, a flat nose, and keen, sparkling eye- ; his 



158 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

waist was as completely encircled in flesh as his name 
was in glory, and that is saying a great deal, for he 
had produced some marvelous work in beaten iron, 
and had raised the blacksmith's trade to the height of 
an art. When he appeared at the door of his work- 
shop, with leather apron, shirt-sleeves rolled back, 
collar unbuttoned, and face and arms blackened with 
smoke, he had much the air of a hippopotamus emerg- 
ing from the depths of a black sea, to take the air on 
the bank. Erhard was a good master, working as 
hard as his unwieldy bulk would permit, and adored 
by his workmen and apprentices. If he was severe 
at times, he was always kind-hearted. 

Next to the master-locksniith's house stood a baker's 
shop, and Marbacher, who dearly loved a chat, used 
ofteu, when the day's work was over, to go in there, 
and, seated on a bag of flour, his two bauds restiugon 
his great hips, intersperse his conversation with loud 
bursts of joyous laughter. 

Greth Mux, the proprietress, was a widow, and the 
younger of her two sons, a great, overgrown lad of 
eighteen, although carefully brought up in the fear of 
God, gave her serious cause for anxiety. He dis- 
obeyed her every hour of the day, and for the most 
part refused outright to work at all. Now, as it is the 
chief consolation of the unhappy to pour out their 
woes to a sympathetic listener, the unfortunate woman 
recounted all her troubles to her neighbor, Master 
Erhard. 



LEGEND OF THE "STOCK IM EISEN." 159 

One evening the locksmith dropped in, in a more 
cheery humor even than usual, but he found the widow 
in tears. Her wretched son had so far forgotten him- 
self as actually to threaten her. 

" Never mind, mother ; never mind/' said the kind- 
hearted man. " I have come on purpose to make a 
suggestion, if you will agree to it. I will undertake 
to make an honest, hard-working artisan out of your 
boy." 

" Oh, Master Erhard, may heaven bless you for 
your goodness to me !" cried the widow, at once begin- 
ning to dry her eyes on her apron. 

" Very well ; now listen." 

" Yes, yes ; I am listening !" And Greth rested her 
elbows on the table and her head on her hands. 

" What I have to propose is as simple as that two 
and two make four. It is that my nephew shall be 
apprenticed to you as a baker, and your son to me as a 
blacksmith. Will that suit you ? " 

" Oh, yes, perfectly, excellently ! " said the widow, 
jumping up and seizing the hand that Erhard held 
out. " Let it be considered settled ; and you must be 
very strict, you understand." 

" Oh, you need not be uneasy on that score ! Mar- 
tin will not be the first scapegrace I have broken in. 
He is young yet, and if he were made of iron I would 
mould him into shape ! " And the blacksmith made a 
gesture that showed the mother he had methods of 
his own. 



160 VIENNA AXD THE VIENNESE. 

" God's will be done, then ! " she murmured, some- 
what scared by the significance of the motion. 

The following day the workshop numbered a new 
apprentice among its employees. Martin, stationed 
before the furnace, was working the bellows. He 
looked, to be sure, sulky and ill-humored, but he did 
his work, and as time went on even seemed to take 
some interest and pride in it. Apparently the truth 
had dawned on him at last, that in order to get on in 
this world one must make an effort; and so every- 
thing went on smoothly enough. The mother was 
enchanted, and attributed this truly miraculous change 
to her neuvaines to St. Antoine ; while Marbacher 
swelled out and grew fatter than ever with pride and 
satisfaction. One afternoon he called Martin, and 
entrusted him with a commission. 

" My boy," said he, " take this bucket and bring it 
back full of clay of the kind we need for casting that 
dragon's-head. You will find it in abundance on the 
edge of the Siechenhaus forest, bevond the St. George 
Gate. Be sure not to play on the road, or you will 
not get back before the curfew. Iu my household, 
remember, people are not allowed to stay out all 
night." 

Martin promised to be back in good time, and, 
taking the pail, set forth. It was a glorious spring 
day ; overhead the sky looked like a great canopy of 
deep, soft blue silk, in the centre of which the sun 
shone like a huge cluster of diamonds; wild-fiowers 



LEGEND OF THE -STOCK IM EISEN." 161 

of every hue nodded and beckoned from the fields, 
and gorgeous butterflies darted hither and thither, 
like truant lovers. It was the month of April, and 
Martin, who had not been outside the town since 
the winter, felt as though he, too, had wings, that 
bore him along nearly as easily as did those of the 
birds overhead. Quitting the road, he wandered 
through the fields, and when he finally reached the 
edge of the forest, after roving long and blissfully, 
it was already four o'clock. 

The horizon was bathed in warm, luminous light, 
and the Cathedral spire and the towers and pointed 
roofs of the town stood out clearly against the intense 
blue of the heavens. Filling his pail, he poised it 
on top of his head, and started back, whistling as he 
went. As he neared the city, the road led through 
a little plantation of linden trees, beneath which the 
youths of Vienna were in the habit of meeting to 
play at bowls. On this particular afternoon quite a 
number of boys were there, and among them Martin 
recognized some of his old associates. Placing his 
bucket behind a tree, he lost no time in joining 
them. The hard work in the smithy had hardened 
his muscles, and to his infinite pride it soon became 
apparent that not one among them could now bowl 
as well as he. Absorbed in the sport, he gave no 
further thought either to the sun or to his master's 
warnings. Suddenly, however, a bell began to toll, 
its monotonous sound resembling the melancholy cry 
11 



162 VIENKA AND THE VIENNESE. 

of some nocturnal bird. The players all stopped, 
listened a moment, and then set off as fast as their 
legs would carry them in the direction of the nearest 
gate. It was the curfew, and the possibility of being 
shut out so frightened Martin that, quite :' _ :- 
ting his pail, he began to run as well. Suddenly, 
however, he remembered it. and not daring to return 
empty-handed, flew back to get it. Fear, and the 
wholesome - : tor authority that Master Erhard 
had managed to instill into him. gave him wings, and 
lie ran so hard that his feet hardly seemed to touch 
the ground; but precious moments had been lost, 
and with all his erlbrts he arrived, panting and drip- 
ping with perspiration, in front of the gate, only in 
time to hear the harsh creaking of the key as it turned 
in the luck. The poor la 1 called aloud, __ ig and 
imploring to be admitted ; but not a sound or move- 
ment came in response. Mean while night had fallen, 
the shadows grew deeper, and an invi-ible brush 
1 to lay an inky c Ating over sky and earth, 
the held-, the town and the rampart-. Martin, thor- 
oughly frightened, and thinking with dread of the 
coming night, as w : the beating and dism - 

sure to follow on the next day. threw hin> U 
by the r< adside and sobbed aloud. After awhile the 
. issuing from behind some cloud-, flooded the 
place with light, and Martin, raising his head to look 
about him. was -tartled to rind some <:>ne standing 
close by him. The stran_ i as talL :hin man, 



LZ-jKNT' 07 177 -Z 7 71 77777 

yellow-eyed, with a nose like the beak : a hawk, and 
a black moustache and beard, the latter v infe . His 
black velvet : was sormoonted by a crimson plume, 
which glowed and sh k like : ngne of flame ; his 
clawlike fingers .-;.sped the : 1 Is : a long cl ak, ths 

I behind m the g jnd, and from a imson 
belt stock the ivoiy handle of a dagger. More 
alarmed than ever by the singular appearance of this 
personage, Martin made :. m ve m -.: it : nm 
but he was sfo] ped a hand laid familiar ly on his 
shoulder. 

■• My lad," said the stranger, u why . ; sit here 
and cry 1 Xne lifficolty is very easy me fee 

H is something that will se: as pass- 
He drew from his] : : -jail leathei arse 
took from it a sequin. . when he blew on it, 

changed int ten shining gold-pieces. 

u Here you are ! " > g the gold t 

in. "Play this music in the ears : the _ 
keeper, and I - by my beard that he will listen 

: \ a then '. " 

The rentice began : take heart _ 
as he : k the g I \. it seemed to burn his n::_ - 
his alarm was not by any means 

•• I nev - b much gold he said, in a 

hesfc ting I ne. 

•' Oh, well, when this is g ne, : plenty 

mure where it -came from ! Yon nerd ._ all mt." 



164 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

" Call you ? " 

" Yes. Say i Raab—Rebeck-Quardec ' three times, 
and then I will come." 

" But how will I ever pay you back ? " 

" Oh, that is a purely secondary matter ! "We will 
settle after you are dead." 

"After — I — am — dead?" faltered Martin. 

" Yes, indeed ! You will leave me your soul," said 
the stranger, carelessly. 

" But, my soul, why that belongs to God. I cannot 
will it away," said the boy, who had been carefully 
trained. 

" Ha ! ha ! " laughed the other, harshly. "Are you 
afraid I will pluck it, like a pigeon? So you believe 
all the fables the monks tell you ? Is it because you 
are hoping to get into Paradise that you say that ? " 

" Why, of course ! " answered the boy, simply, 

" Oh ! oh ! oil ! They are all alike ! They all really 
believe that Paradise is a delightful place. My poor 
boy, I have been there myself, and I simply could 
not stand it ! Nothing to live on but light and air — 
just what the flowers have. Never a bottle of wine, 
nor a slice of good ham. It is the most monstrous life, 
about as much variety as in a litany. Many a time, I 
do assure you, I have surprised some anchorite saint, 
actually longing for water from the spring and a few 
roots from the desert. Xow, on the other hand," he 
continued, in an insinuating voice, " if your soul 
should conclude to come to me at vour death, I will 



LEGEND OF THE "STOCK IM EISEN." 165 

engage to give it a very different sort of existence. I 
live in a great marble palace, situated on the border 
of a large lake, on which I give my nocturnal fetes. 
In my dominions you only end one festivity, in order 
to begin another ; and the souls are all clothed in pal- 
pable form, so that the lover, for instance, himself 
restored to youth, meets once more his sweetheart, in 
her pristine beauty and freshness. . . . What do you 
think of it ? Will you join us ? " 

Martin lowered his head, and felt within himself 
that he was won. 

" Think," said the other, " whether you would like 
to find all roads on earth open to you ; to have your 
name covered with glory, and your heart winning love ; 
to outdo your master in his own art, and to under- 
stand perfectly the two sciences of good and evil." 

" I agree, on one condition," said Martin. " It is, 
that my soul is not to belong to you, unless, in the 
course of my life, I once, through my own fault, fail 
to attend mass on Sunday." 

" Done ! I am a good devil, and I will accept the 
condition. Now write your signature at the bottom 
of this document." 

He thereupon produced a sheet of parchment, and, 
as they could not see very well, accommodatingly 
blew on his fingers, which then shone like so many 
candles. Martin was amazed to find himself sign- 
ing his name with a flourish, never having been 
able to write' a word in his whole life. Then 



166 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

the infernal light was extinguished and the man 
disappeared. 

Martin was like one awakening from a nightmare ; 
there was a singing in his ears, his head was heavy, 
his eyelids felt like lead, his breath came in labored 
gasps, and his legs would hardly carry him ; but, with 
it all, there were the gold-pieces in his pocket. 

He betook himself to the city gate, and, rattling 
them in his hand, asked to be let in. 

" Coming ! " cried a voice ; and a moment later he 
was in the city. 

Making his way to the house, he succeeded in reach- 
ing his room without disturbing any one. 

The next day, to his surprise, no questions were put 
to him, and everything went on as usual. The truth 
was that the locksmith thought he had seen his appren- 
tice enter the house at the proper time, take his place 
at the evening meal, and go soberly to bed at the 
usual hour. 

A few days later Martin's unknown friend appeared 
in the workshop, introducing himself to Master Erhard 
as a gentleman belonging to the Court. 

" I am commissioned," said he, " to order from 
you an iron hoop, with hinges, and a lock that no 
human power will be able to open." 

"A difficult order," said Erhard ; " very difficult, 
and one that will require study and reflection. A lock 
that no human power can open — not easy that . . ." 

" It must be made, though," said the stranger. 



LEGEND OF THE "STOCK IM EISEN." 167 

" Is there any hurry ? " 

" Oh, a great deal of hurry ! " 

" In that case I cannot undertake to fill the order. 
It will require a carefully worked out plan and the 
most skillful labor." 

" Oh, Master Marbacher, what an answer to 
make ! Why, I will lay a wager that I can find 
some one among your people more ingenious than 
you." 

Erhard flushed at this; but the visitor, whose 
■ pointed beard wagged maliciously, turned around and 
faced the workmen and apprentices. 

" Is there no one," he cried, " who can make a lock 
that no human force will be able to open ? " 

For a moment there was a dead silence ; the work- 
room might have been a desert spot. 

" Come," cried the stranger ; " are you all afraid to 
answer ?" 

Just then Martin stepped forward, and in a clear, 
decided tone said, " I will undertake the order." 

Marbacher felt as though the ground were giving 
way beneath his feet. 

" You, Martin ? You ? The youngest apprentice 
in my shop — you propose to execute a piece of work 
that Master Erhard finds too difficult ? It is absurd. 
I forbid it." 

" You have the order," said the stranger, in such a 
tone of authority that Marbacher drew back abashed. 

"I will call 'again in six days," he continued, "and 



: g vienisa ax: the viknxesk 

Mastei Marbacher will nc abi see :"_;: the work is 

That same night Martin set fa work; butwhen lay 

: if : and him still seated on his len 

planning, con trr.- ing 3 torturing his rain in the effort 
I Lesign s me peril ::. but all in 

n ; the lines 1 1 like the tangled thtr 

: a wel . Night found him no furthei 
Master Erb ghter heart, mur- 

muring to himself as hr : U - ill never 

- 

To wards tw _ e apprentiee, 

. d his chair, and had 

trange dream. He seemed < sringthi _ 

ms : an and - sitoated on 1 

It seemed that it had on 
I, who had colle se rooms 

all: si _ : nous locks of th palaces 

x that he had robbed. There they hoi 

_ - 2 bast signs on the 

— Venetian . >. Neapolitan, Turkish. Spank 
Qchu Martin was filled with admiral 

manship and their in__ - mechan- 

ism : - : '... slight pressn] "ould n: 

Like the fingers of a 

the air like a bii 5 tal - - 

in particular, in the form of spid se mech- 

anism was as ing - s that of a watch. A label 

V n Raslan had caused it to be 



LEGEXD OF THE -STOCK IM EISEX." 169 

made by a clever magician for the door of the tower 
in which he had shut up his recreant wife. The key 
was a A'eritable jewel, of the finest open-work, like a 
bit of exquisite lace. Martin made a careful drawing 
of the lock, and had barely completed it when the 
floor of the room seemed to sink beneath his feet ; he 
had a sensation of falling from immense heights, and 
finally awoke, lying on his back in his own chamber. 
The sun was pouring through the window, and one 
brilliant ray fell like a bar of gold athwart a sheet of 
paper on which he recognized in amazement the draw- 
ing of a lock, which he supposed existed only in his 
dreams. Shaking himself, to be quite sure that he was 
reallv awake, he seized the paper and hurried down to 
the shop, where he at once set to work. To carry out 
the design was the least part of the task, and when, three 
daws later, the stranger appeared and asked Master 
Marbacher, with an ironical smile, to call his appren- 
tice, the latter at once advanced, carrying an iron hoop 
to which was attached the wonderful lock. The cour- 
tier fitted the little key in its hole, and then tried all 
the skeleton keys of the establishment; but the lock 
was proof against them all, and the work was pro- 
nounced a triumphant success. Martin had produced 
a masterpiece. 

" It is perfect !" cried the stranger; and then, turning 
towards Marbacher, who stood with his men and boys 
in a wondering group around him, he said, indicating 
the young apprentice, " He has succeeded by dint of 



170 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

pluck and perseverance. For my part, I shall give 
him a purse full of gold. What will you do for him, 
Master Erhard ? " 

" I will appoint him a journeyman, and give him 
his freedom," replied the master, in a harsh voice, for 
he was choking with rage and jealousy. 

The stranger stepped out and fastened the hoop 
about the trunk of a larch tree that stood in the Horse- 
Market, locked it himself, and, taking the key, de- 
parted. Nor did they ever see him again. 

The following week Martin left Vienna and estab- 
lished himself in the studio of Master AVeit, at Nu- 
remberg. He was Jfcon engaged to work on the tomb 
of Saint Sebald, which was then occupying the genius 
of the master, and which remains to this day one of 
the art treasures of the town. The young man was 
also given several important pieces of work at Augs- 
berg, on the completion of which he returned to 
Vienna. Just at that time the Bourgeois Council 
were offering the title and prerogatives of Master to 
any journeyman locksmith who should succeed in 
making a key that would open the iron band encir- 
cling a certain tree on the Horse-Market Platz, which 
had been dubbed "the tree of the iron." A number 
of attempts had already been made, but none were 
successful. Martin, who remembered perfectly the 
design of the one he had already made, easily dupli- 
cated it in two or three days. 

The Burgomaster and Councilors, in their robes 



LEGEND OF THE "STOCK IM EISEX." 171 

of office, with long, gold-embroidered capes of velvet, 
and the corporation of locksmiths and farriers, with 
banners flying, and closely followed by a great crowd 
of people, proceeded to the spot to witness the trial, 
which, it was announced, was to be the last. 

Martin, after politely saluting the dignitaries, 
approached the tree, drew a tiny key from his pocket, 
and, after displaying it to the people, inserted it in the 
keyhole, and using some force, for the springs had 
rusted, succeeded in turning it. The hoop opened and 
fell to the ground. The crowd broke into loud shouts 
of applause, and all the journeymen locksmiths present 
yelled with delight at the triumph of their fellow. 
Brandishing aloft the hammers that each carried in his 
belt, they rushed up, one after the other, and drove a 
nail into the trunk of the tree, in memory of the 
occasion. 

Martin was publicly invested with the grade and 
dignity of Master. The Burgomaster laid his sword 
on his head in sign of blessing, the dean of the cor- 
poration of locksmiths and farriers gave him three 
hand-shakes, and four brother journeymen, hoisting 
him on their broad shoulders, carried him home in 
triumph. 

Martin now settled permanently in Vienna, where 
his fame increased every day. It was he who made 
the wonderful gates of the Cathedral Choir, and the 
story was current that, finding that they did not quite 
reach the wall, he 'simply seized them with both hands 



172 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

and dragged them towards him, when the iron 
stretched like so much woolen cloth. 

Through all his triumphs, however, his mysterious 
bargain lay heavy on his soul. When Sunday came, 
his nervous anxiety to keep the saving condition usu- 
ally caused him to attend two masses, instead of one. 
At night sleep came with difficulty, for his mind was 
continually dwelling upon the fatal condition, and his 
old mother, listening in the darkness, would hear him 
tossing from side to side, muttering fervid prayers, and 
ever and anon breaking into deep sighs. With riches, 
glory, everything that the world counts as necessary to 
happiness, he was nevertheless not happy. 

At last, on returning late one night from a grand 
entertainment, he thought the situation out. What 
did he gain by torturing himself with anxious fears in 
this way? Xothing at all. 

" Come," he said to himself, u it is sheer folly ! I 
may just as well live and enjoy myself while I can; 
and to the devil with all this care !" 

From thenceforth he threw himself into all the 
diversions of the town with a sort of frenzy. Every 
night found him taking his place at the card-tables, 
where he vied with the most reckless in the wildness 
of his play. One Saturday an important piece of 
work detained him so long that it was for beyond the 
usual hour when he arrived at the gaming tables. 
Taking his place, his wild mood infected the others, 
and the entire night passed without the plavers being 



LEGEND OF THE "STOCK JM EISEN." 173 

aware of it. The innkeeper threw open doors and 
windows and bustled about, but still the game went 
on. At last, entering in his Sunday clothes, he 
remarked, in the deprecating tone of one who does not 
wish to offend : 

" Just a little less noise, if you please. High mass 
has begun, and you know the Burgomaster is getting 
very strict in his old age, and — " 

" High mass has begun ? " stammered Martin, turn- 
ing pale and dropping his cards. 

" Well, it is hardly the hour for matins," said the 
innkeeper, " seeing ten o'clock has struck." 

The locksmith arose, and supporting himself against 
the tables and chairs, reached the door and went out, 
with uncertain steps. The others gazed after him in 
wonder, and then, looking at one another, said that he 
had gone mad. 

The first person Martin encountered was his old 
friend, whom he had never seen since the day he had 
left Marbacher's workshop. He was walking along 
with a jaunty air, twirling the ends of his moustache, 
his hat cocked over one ear, and his hand resting on 
the hilt of his short sword. 

" Too late, my friend, too late ! " he called out, 
gaily, as Martin appeared ; but the latter seemed 
endowed with new energy at the sight of him, and 
started for the Mennonite church on a run, hoping to 
get there in time for a second and later mass. The 
other, without appearing to hurry, kept pace with him 



174 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

easily. Thus they reached the church. Martin 
cleared the steps at a bound, and entered, panting and 
exhausted, just as the priest, turning towards the wor- 
shipers, pronounced the Ite missa est 

" Oh, my God, have mercy on me ! " cried the 
wretched man, as he fell on the flags unconscious. 

A puff of smoke and flame was seen to issue from the 
half-closed mouth, and the body turned quite black. 
Notwithstanding these equivocal tokens, the body was 
interred with great pomp in the Cathedral Cemetery. 
It was said that at the evening hour when Martin had 
been used to take his place at the card-table, a plain- 
tive voice would be heard calling out, " A Mass ! a 
Mass ! " From that time on it became the custom for 
every journeyman locksmith who came to Vienna, or 
who left for some other town, to drive a nail into the 
" Stock im Eisen," at the same time reciting a Pater 
for the repose of the unfortunate Master's soul. 



CHAPTER X. 

Sensations of Early Spring— St. Stephan's Tower— The Belfry— The 
"Fire Watch "—Count Starhemberg and the Siege of 1683— The 
Emperor Leopold — His Treatment of Sobieski — French Campaign 
of 1805 — Peace of Pressburg — View from the Summit of St. Ste- 
phan's Tower — The Danube — Hungary — Galicia — The Puthe- 
nians — The Poles — Bohemia — John Zizka — Tyrol — Variety of 
States and Paces in the Austrian Empire — What is the Outlook ? 

At Vienna, as elsewhere, the Spring sometimes pays 
little fleeting visits ahead of time, dropping in with a 
sunny smile in the very midst of the snows of winter. 
Then the town becomes like a white-draped chamber 
of the dead, where the atmosphere has suddenly been 
illumined with shafts of golden sunshine, and per- 
fumed with flowers. So soft and fresh does the air be- 
come that the entire population may presently be seen 
inhaling deep breaths at the open windows, and then 
pouring out into the streets as though it were a national 
holiday. Everything seems to be quite new and young, 
and you identify yourself so entirely with this rejuve- 
nated nature around you, that with her you seem to 
feel the thrill of renewed life, the stirring of the sap in 
your veins. The bo'dy feels light, the soul more ethe- 
real ; one is sensible of influences from above; a sursum 
cor lifts one from the earth. 

175 



1 76 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Ir is on such a day as this that one should make 
the ascent of the Tower of St. Stephan's. After 
procuring tickets from the sacristan, you begin to 
climb the tortuous spiral stair, turning always to the 
left : gradually as you mount it grows somewhat 
lighter : an occasional narrow slit admits a sort of twi- 
light gleam. At one stage a small door, like the trap- 
>f a cellar, leads to the gallery, which hangs like 
a bit of lace from one end of the building to the other. 

Reaching a small balcony, which is about on a 
height with the neighboring roofs, you step out and 
pause to take breath, while the tops of the surround- 
ing buildings seem to recede in the brilliant atmos- 
phere like the waves of a glowing sea. 

This tower on which you stand is a restoration of 
the one begun by Duke Rndolph IV. about the 
middle of the fourteenth century, the original struc- 
ture having been declared unsafe in 1860. It is the 
most beautiful thin^r of its kind in Germany, a marvel 
of design and execution. The tower is square, and 
from it springs the exquisi:- I _ nal spire, rising to 
a total heigh: at tour hundred and for: - 

feet, and tapei a IF at the summit to an extra- 
ordinarily small angle. All _ . the whole is re- 
markably rich and ornamental, there is no open-work 
at all in the spire. 

At the next stage is the entrance to the belfry, to 
get into which you must climb down a ladder, as 
though descending into the hold of a ship. All aboi 



Cathedral Church of St. Stephan 



ST. STEPHAX'S BELFRY— FIEE WATCH. 177 

are enormous beams, crossing and recrossing one an- 
other, and heavily bound and clamped with iron, with 
massive bolts like serpents' heads. The bells, like 
some rank bronze vegetation, hang in bunches from 
the intricate network of beams, which twist and inter- 
lace like the branches of a monstrous prehistoric tree ; 
while the clappers suspended just over your head 
might be the pistils of giant campanulas. The 
great bell is called u Josephine," because it was cast 
in the reign of Joseph I. It was made from guns 
captured from the Turks in the celebrated victory 
before Vienna (1683), and was rung for the first time 
on the occasion of Charles VI.'s triumphal entry, 
after his coronation in 1712. So penetrating and far- 
reaching are the tones of this bell that it can be 
heard, so it is said, in the Styrian mountains, and has 
been nicknamed by the populace the Poummerin. 

Fifty steps more bring one to the station for the 
" Fire- Watch." These wear a uniform something like 
that of the soldiers of the line, and their duty is to 
keep a constant and vigilant watch for the first indi- 
cation of fire in any part of the city. As soon as a 
puff of suspicious-looking smoke is seen, the alarm is 
given by means of an ingenious contrivance invented 
by an eminent professor of astronomy. The lookout 
points a telescope in the direction of the fire, and 
this, passing over graduated dials, indicates a certain 
number, corresponding to a number entered in the 
register of streets and houses ; the spot having been 
12 



178 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

ascertained by consulting the register, it is telegraphed 
to the central Fire Department station. In old times 
a huge speaking trumpet was used to announce a fire 
to the city. 

Mounting still higher, one reaches an elevated plat- 
form, where may be seen the stone bench from which 
Count Starhemberg, in the siege of 1683, was wont to 
watch the movements of the besieging Turks, and 
scan the horizon in the hope of discerning reinforce- 
ments for his spent garrison. Week after week had 
gone by since the Vizier with his army had sat down 
before the Austrian capital. The Emperor Leopold I. 
had fled with the Court, leaving his capital and his 
people to be . captured by the Turks, or delivered by 
John Sobieski and the Duke of Lorraine, as heaven 
and their own valor might dictate. The Duke of 
Lorraine and Count Starhemberg accomplished won- 
ders in the short space of time that remained to them 
before the arrival of the Turkish host. They repaired 
the fortifications, and armed and drilled the students 
and citizens to act as reinforcements for the weak and 
insufficient garrison left by the Emperor. These 
things done, the Duke of Lorraine withdrew with his 
cavalry to harass the enemy, and, if possible, to delay 
their approach. The siege opened about the middle 
of July, and by the beginning of September the city 
was in a truly deplorable condition. The Turks had 
gained possession of a part of the defences, and the 
garrison could see no hope of holding out much 



THE SIEGE OF 1683 BY THE TURKS. 179 

longer. Day after day Count Starhemberg mounted 
to the summit of the Cathedral tower to gaze off to 
the northwest, in the direction from which the hoped- 
for succor was to arrive. The Emperor, having sent 
urgent messages to John Sobieski that the Imperial 
troops had assembled, and only awaited his leader- 
ship to attack the enemy, he, with a small force, made 
a series of forced marches across Silesia and Moravia, 
reaching Tulln, only to find the bridge unfinished and 
the promised army to consist of nothing but the 
detachment of cavalry under the Duke of Lorraine. 
There was nothing to do but to await the arrival of 
his own army, which was coming by a longer route, 
and the German contingents, then assembling at dif- 
ferent points. Then came the urgent messages from 
Starhemberg, 1 describing the desperate straits to which 
the garrison was reduced, and Sobieski determined to 
make the advance at once. 

It is said that Starhemberg, now well-nigh dis- 
tracted, spent the entire night (September 11, 1683) 
on the bench in the Cathedral tower. Everything had 
much the same appearance as usual. The moon, flood- 
ing the slopes of Heligenstadt and Xussdorf, showed 
only the white tents of the encamped host. From 
time to time the stillness was broken by the voices of 
the Turkish sentinels, posted on the Burg bastion, 
captured by them some days before. Finally, day 
broke, and as the gray light turned to pink and crept 

*See p. 141. 



180 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE 

slowly around the horizon, Starhemberg suddenly 
leaped to his feet, and throwing his body across the 
led^e, strained his eves off to where the broad bosom 
of the Danube shone like a silver band. Between it 
and him lay the Kahlenberg, and now, as the light 
grew stronger, all further uncertainty vanished. The 
Christian standards could plainly be descried, floating 
from its heights. The Governor, whose courage and 
endurance had never flinched during the terrible eight 
weeks that the siege had lasted, leaped on the bench 
which had been the scene of his weary vigils, and, 
waving his sword in the air, shouted, in a voice that 
echoed below in the narrow, deserted streets, " To 
arms! We are saved!" — then flung himself down 
the narrow stair, to place himself at the head of his 
men. 

In the meantime John Sobieski, accompanied by his 
son, was attending mass, celebrated in the Leopoldsberg 
chapel by Marco Aviano, the Commander's Capuchin 
confessor. After the mass James Sobieski was knighted 
by his father. The other leaders were Charles of Lor- 
raine, the Elector of Saxony, the Margrave Louis of 
Baden, Count Sylvanus Caprara, the Prince of Salm, 
and Prince Eugene of Savoy, not yet twenty years of 
age, and about to take part in his first engagement. 
It was owing to the refusal of Louis XIV. to give 
him a command that he had taken service with the 
House of Habsburg. 

Five guns gave the signal for the attack, and the 



THE TUEKISH DEFEAT BEFORE VIENNA. 181 

Christian host, pouring down the slopes of the sur- 
rounding hills, fell upon the Mussulmans at a point on 
the Danube near Xussdorf. The battle lasted nearly 
all day, but as evening approached the Turks became 
panic-stricken and fled in great disorder. The next 
morning their camp was taken possession of by the 
victors, and an extraordinary amount of booty found. 
John Sobieski, to whom were assigned the tents of the 
Vizier Kara Mustapha, found these filled with all man- 
ner of valuable articles, gold and silver ornaments, 
jewels, provisions, rich trappings, silk standards and 
hangings, besides large sums of money. Writing an 
account of the battle to his wife, he adds, "And I 
shall not be met with the reproach of the Tartar wives, 
' You are not a man, because you have come back with- 
out booty/ for the Grand Vizier has left me his heir, 
and I inherit millions of ducats." 

The Emperor's ingratitude to the valiant Pole was 
so marked as to cause the greatest dissatisfaction among 
the Viennese people, who naturally contrasted their 
salvation by him with their desertion at the hands of 
their sovereign. Leopold entered the city on the 14th, 
in solemn pomp, by the same gate — the Stuben — 
through which he had fled so shamelessly. Proceeding 
to the Cathedral, he listened to the singing of a Te 
Deum of thanksgiving by the Bishop of Neustadt, the 
former Chevalier of Malta, Leopold Kolonicz, who 
had rendered the Governor invaluable services during 
the siege. After the service the Emperor dined with 



182 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

the Electors of Bavaria and Saxony, but he was much 
troubled as to how he ought to receive Sobieski. An 
Emperor could, it seems, give his hand to a hereditary 
King, but for an elective King, particularly for one 
who had just given you back your capital, there was 
no precedent. It was finally decided that the meeting 
should take place on horseback, so that there might 
be no question of hand-shaking. But the Emperor's 
stiff, haughty demeanor towards the troops, as well as 
towards their General, offended every one. Neither 
Sobieski nor the Duke of Lorraine received any credit 
or compensation for the great services they had ren- 
dered, and both made the filthy and unsanitary condi- 
tion of the camp vacated by the Turks an excuse to 
withdraw from Vienna with their men. The attitude 
of Leopold towards them was attributed to the influ- 
ence of the Jesuits, who dreaded the anti-Spanish 
influence such popular heroes might be expected to 
exert. It is more than likely that the Emperor's 
personal jealousy entered largely into it as well. 

Count Starhemberg and Bishop Kolonicz fared better. 
The former was made Field-Marshal, Minister of State 
and member of the Aulic Council, besides receiving 
some valuable presents. The collar of the Golden 
Fleece was sent to him by the King of Spain, and a 
letter of congratulation by the Pope ; and he was, 
moreover, authorized to introduce into his armorial 
bearings the spire of St. Stepha n's, a wall and 
the letter L, as being the initial letter of Leopold. 



VIEW FROM ST. STEPHAN'S TOWER. 183 

To the Bishop was given some ecclesiastical prefer- 
ment. 

It was from the same tower of St. Stephan's that 
the Viennese watched the approach of the French 
army in the campaign of 1805. After the surrender 
of General Mack at Ulm, the surrender of Archduke 
Ferdinand at Nordlingen, and the retreat of the 
Russian forces, the road to Vienna was left free. 
Murat and Lannes accordingly marched in and took 
possession of the capital in November. A few weeks 
later Napoleon won his brilliant victory at Austerlitz, 
ami this was followed by the peace of Prcssburg, with 
its humiliating concessions. Austria ceded something 
like twenty provinces, besides paying an enormous 
money indemnity. Napoleon then withdrew his forces, 
and the Emperor Francis entered his capital. 

Perched upon the summit of this historic tower, the 
noises of the city rise like the roar of the surf. The 
tower, like a mighty cliff, rears itself above the 
crowded sea of roofs and gables, whose pointed crests 
are not unlike the caps of turbulent waves. Here 
and there a long stream of smoke, issuing from some 
factory, might indicate a steamboat lying at anchor, 
while the snowy lines of the suburbs suggest ranges 
of spray-tossed breakers. 

As one's gaze sweeps the horizon to the northeast, in 
search of the shores of this mighty sea, it embraces 
first the plains of Hungary, then Galicia, and loses 
itself in the defiles of the Carpathian Mountains. 



184 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

There are those vine-clad slopes, at whose feet flows 
the Danube. 



" Crown with a branch of the vine 
This lovely daughter of the Magyar land. 
Vine and poet have the same vocation — 
Vine and poet give their souls to the world. 
Wine is the soul of the vine ; 
Song is the soul of the poet." 

What pictures the mind conjures up, as one traces 
the track of the Danube, flowing down from its source, 
at the edge of the Black Forest, to empty itself into 
the Black Sea ! After the Volga, it is the largest and 
most powerful river in Europe, and its importance for 
Austria and Germany can hardly be over-estimated, 
for it is their hijjliwav of communication with the 
East. In Roman times it was one of the frontiers 
of the Empire ; its further banks were covered with 
unexplored forests and inaccessible mountains. Tra- 
jan's conquests in the Carpathians were accounted 
among the most striking indications of the all-embrac- 
ing power of the Roman arms. Later, the character 
of the Danube changed. No longer a frontier, it 
became the great highway, by which the nations 
advanced westward or were swept back to the East. 
Huns and Avars appear on the Danube, and after 
them Slavs, Magyars, Turk-, take the same route. 
Charles the Great leads his victorious Franks and 
Bavarians, the colonizers of Austria, along the 



THE KIVEK DANUBE. 185 

Danube ; Crusaders, bound for Constantinople, and 
those armies of more recent date which have driven 
back the Mussulmans, all pass up and down the same 
mighty stream, w T hile its waters have time and again 
served as a roadway for the armies of France. 

Even more important, though, have been its func- 
tions as a highway of commerce and industry. 
Before artificial means of communication had been 
opened, the entire trade of southern Germany passed 
up and down this natural road ; a large population 
settled on its banks, and towns and villages multi- 
plied rapidly in its valley. When the Germans and 
Magyars gained possession of the river, they secured 
to themselves the certainty of a powerful empire. 
Masters of the Danube, it did not take long for the 
Austrians to possess themselves of the Alpine range, 
the great natural fortress of Europe, whose situation 
makes it equally valuable either for attack or for 
defence. In Roman times only the upper part of the 
river was called Danubius, the lower waters going by 
the name of the Ister. 

In proportion as the river-bank is left behind, the 
aspect of the country becomes more and more wild 
and forbidding. To the golden stretch of the harvest- 
fields succeed immense plains of monotonous, gray, 
mournful steppes — regions still unknown and mys- 
terious. 

These are the pouslas or Hungarian steppes, through 
which the traveler will sometimes journey for whole 



186 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

days together without encountering a single human 
habitation. This is the land of independence, the 
country of John Hunyade and Matthias Corvin. As 
early as 1222 Hungary became a constitutional mon- 
archy; it survived the Mongol invasion of twenty years 
later, and successfully resisted the encroachments of 
Austria for three hundred years ; and it was only 
after the Turkish victory of 1526 that the kingdom 
fell to piece?. 

Beyond Hungary, in the extreme northeast corner 
of the empire, is Galicia, the largest of the crown 
lands, whose official name is " The Kingdom of 
Galicia and Lodomeria, with the Grand Dnehy of 
Cracow." During the Middle Ages it was the subject 
of constant disputes between Poland and Hungary, 
now coming under the dominion of one of these coun- 
tries, and then of the other. Religion has always 
played a part in the struggles of this province, the 
Poles of the western district? belonging to the faith 
of Rome, the Ruthenians of the east to the Orthodox 
Greek Church. As early as the middle of the thir- 
teenth century Daniel of Lodomeria applied to Inno- 
cent IV. for aid against his Hungarian rival, and 
allowed himself to receive his crown at the hands of 
a Papal Legate; but Innocent having failed to do all 
that was expected of him. the Prince returned to his 
former faith, and to-day a Roman Catholic Ruthenian 
finds it extremely difficult to join the Greek Church, a 
political significance being attached to such a st?p, in 



BOHEMIA- JOHN ZIZKA. 187 

consequence of the well-known inclination of the 
Ruthenians towards Russia. The Poles ; on the con- 
trary, find in Galicia a congenial atmosphere. " It is 
the only country/' said one of their statesmen, " where 
we can still think, talk and act as Poles." It was, in 
fact, only in 1772 that Maria Theresa detached the 
country from the Polish Republic, in virtue of cer- 
tain rights claimed by her as Queen of both Bohemia 
and Hungary ; while, should war ever break out 
between Austria and Russia, Galicia would undoubt- 
edly be the chief scene of battle, as the sympathy 
between the Ruthenians and their brother Russians is 
open and avowed. 

Off to the northwest lies Bohemia, the scene of 
that long and obstinate struggle for freedom of con- 
science associated with the honored names of John 
Huss, Jerome of Prague, and John Zizka. The last 
was a national hero, the friend and favorite of King 
Wenceslaus. Taking some vague observations made 
by the King more seriously than they were intended, 
the fiery patriot started a religious war. National 
and political complications soon arose, and the whole 
country became involved. Fire and the sword marked 
the route of the patriots, for Zizka was not always 
able to curb the fierce spirits whom religious and politi- 
cal persecutions and the constantly recurring treachery 
of the nobles to the national cause had let loose. A 
more than doubtful tradition tells that, when he had 
become totally blind, as the result of losing an eye in 



188 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

the attack on the Castle of Rabi, in the campaign of 
1421, he caused a Roman Catholic priest to be brought 
to him, for the pure pleasure of knocking him over 
the head. Another anecdote relates that he directed 
his followers to strip his body after death and use the 
skin for a drum, with which to arouse his fellow- 
countrymen to fight for the cause of liberty. His 
was a character typically Slav, extraordinarily brave, 
simple and unpretending, but fanatical. The feeling 
he inspired in his men may best be understood from 
the fact that, after his death, they dubbed themselves 
" The Orphans." 

Bohemia is a kingdom, but it is not as independ- 
ent as Hungary. With the exceptions of Joseph II. 
and the present Emperor, the Austrian sovereigns 
have uudergone the ceremony of coronation as 
Kings of Bohemia in the Prague Cathedral, swear- 
ing to preserve the rights and privileges of the king- 
dom. The Czech portion of the inhabitants value 
this ceremony very highly, as sustaining their claims 
to an independent government ; but, as a fact, though 
allowed a separate Diet, they are obliged to send rep- 
resentatives to the Reichsrath at Vienna, of which 
the Hungarian parliament is entirely independent. 

To the south float the vaporous outlines of the 
Styrian mountains, beyond which lie the Tyrolese 
Alps, the two forming a sort of double line of ram- 
parts. 

The Tvrol ! Who does not know the Brittauv of 



Elizabeth— Brucke 



TYROL— ANDREAS HOFER. 189 

Austria, with its proud and warlike people — poetic, 
industrious and intrepid? 

Tyrolese singers abound all over Germany ; Tyrol- 
ese songs are heard in every part of the world. It is 
a land of beauty and of plenty, too, where the peas- 
ant, dwelling in the shadow of his glorious mountains, 
is still able to maintain himself in comfort, and the 
huntsman can still hope to find sufficient game to 
repay him for his perilous expeditions. 

Tyrol has formed a part of the hereditary dominions 
of the Archdukes of Austria ever since the Countess 
Margaret — Die Maultasche — having married for her 
second husband Louis of Brandenburg, made over all 
her possessions to the House of Habsburg, on the 
death of her son, Meinhard III., in 1363. Twice 
since then Tyrol has been attached for brief periods 
to Bavaria. First, after the peace of Pressburg, in 
1805 ; but four years later the inhabitants took advan- 
tage of the fresh breaking out of war between France 
and Austria, to drive out the Bavarians. For a year, 
under the leadership of Andreas Hofer, they suc- 
ceeded in keeping the French, Bavarian and Saxon 
forces at bay, but the treaty of Schonbrunn again 
handed them over to Bavarian rule. After Napoleon's 
downfall, however, Tyrol 'onca more reverted to Aus- 
tria, which has retained it ever since. 

What a wonderful impression one receives, standing 
thus on the summit of St. Stephan's Tower, and taking 
a mental bird's-eye view of the Austrian Empire ! It is 



190 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE 

as though one were perched on the top of a lighthouse, 
in the midst of an archipelago, whose every island 
belonged to a separate country. As the mind pene- 
trates far beyond the limits of mere sight, and mar- 
shals one after another those provinces of varied and 
once-conflicting nationalities, religions, tongues ; of 
opposing habits of life and government ; finding in 
each a marvelous vitality and individuality, while yet 
they are bound together in one political whole — one 
cannot refrain from -peculating upon the future of 
the Empire. 

The problem of its continuance is so intricate, so 
many questions ethnographical, geographical, philo- 
logical, national and political are involved, that even 
the most tar-sighted hesitate to launch into prophecy. 
Not the least factor in the complicated relations of the 
various units that go to make up the Empire lies 
in the fact that the religions and nationalities are 
all inextricably interlaced geographically, while the 
races are split up by differences of religion, language 
and policy. The Germans are settled in large 
numbers in Transylvania, in Moravia, in Bohemia, 
and in Silesia ; the Hungarians do not confine them- 
selves to Hungary, but have spread into Austria, 
being especially numerous in Vienna ; the Poles, who 
are Slavs quite as truly as are the Hungarians, speak 
a different language, and are not politically in sym- 
pathy with the latter ; the Puthenians, also Slavs, 
are opposed to both Poles and Hungarians, and differ 



VARIOUS STATES AND RACES IX AUSTRIA. 191 

from them in religion and language; the Croatians, 
Slavs as well, hold aloof from all the others, while all 
combine in looking down upon the Slavonians, and 
it is significant that when a Pan-Slavonic Congress is 
held, the delegates are obliged to meet on a common 
ground of the German language. 

"Xow, complicated as the problem already is, it 
would be relatively simple if political parties ran par- 
allel with these national fragments. But this is very 
far from being the case. It by no means follows that 
because a man is a Czech, he is also a partisan of 
Federalism and a hater of the Germans ; he may be 
a Clerical, or he may be a Social Democrat. In like 
manner, a German may be an enemy of the German 
party, because he happens to be a Conservative, a 
Clerical, or an anti-Semite. The Serbs and Croatians 
are not only one and the same race, but they speak 
the same language ; yet they hate each other because 
they are members of different churches. The Ger- 
mans, as we saw, instead of presenting a united front 
to the enemy, are split up into half a dozen political 
fractions, who breathe fire and flame against one 
another. And so on to the end of the chapter : the 
threads become hopelessly entangled and confusion 
worse confounded." 1 

This writer finds the only solution of the problem 
to lie in a sweeping reform in the system of parlia- 

1 " Breaking Up of the Austrian Empire." — X. E. Prorok, Con- 
temporary Review, 1S98. 



192 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

mentary representation, by which the Austrian peoples 
could make their voices heard in Parliament. His 
belief is that " from the day on which Anstrian mem- 
bers of Parliament ceased to represent the few, and 
came as spokesmen of the masses, the conflict of rival 
nationalities, and the struggle between Centralists aud 
Federalists, would vanish as by the waving of a ma- 
gician's wand. ... If democratic Switzerland can 
exist and prosper, despite its heterogeneous elements, 
a democratic Austria would have equal chances of 



CHAPTER XI. 

Manoeuvres on the Drill-Grounds — The Austrian is a Good Soldier 
— Koeniggreetz — The Array : Its Origin — The Imperial Array — 
Characteristics of the Imperialists — Army Reorganization in 
1868— Law of Recruitment— The Landsturm — The Battle of 
Custozza — Archduke Albert — General Uchatius — The Uchatius 
Gun — Imperial Arsenal — Simplicity of General Uchatius's 
Quarters — Character of the Man — His Struggles and Final 
Triumph — Prussia's Spy System — The Army Museum — Inter- 
esting Relics — Prince Eugene — Gustavus Adolphus — Pappen- 
heim— Wallenstein — His Career, Assassination — Anecdote of 
his Recovery from an Illness. 

The drill-grounds in and near Vienna are a never- 
failing attraction for all the idlers of the capital, and 
for many busy people as well. Around the gates a 
crowd of sight-seers is always gathered, watching 
the manoeuvres. Now the line of soldiers, clad in 
neat, dark uniforms, dash forward at charge bayo- 
nets — it has been said that the secret of warfare 
lies in the legs — then they deploy with quick, alert 
movements in a long line of skirmishers. No mili- 
tary man could fail to admire the unison of their 
movements and the rapidity with which even the 
young recruits catch the meaning of the slightest 
gesture of their superior. 

The Austrian is, in fact, an admirable soldier; he 
13 193 



194 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

has never sustained any but an honorable defeat, and 
has contrived to put up a good fight with whatever 
weapons and ammunition he may chance to have. 
The Hungarians have fought with clubs, and the 
Wallachians of Transylvania with pebbles. At Sol- 
ferino, when Baron Culoz's regiment had exhausted 
their supply of cartridges, they * gathered up stones, 
and, like the Swiss at Saint Jacques, with such ammu- 
nition tried to repulse the assault of the French. A 
division of the Austrian army, which was reduced to 
similar straits at Kceniggrastz, charged a squadron of 
Prussian cuirassiers at the point of the bayonet and 
forced them to retreat. When this battle was over, 
the Prussian general, Steinmetz, said to a number of 
Austrian press correspondents, assembled in an inn 
near by, "Gentlemen, when your troops return, you 
will do well to spare them anything like reproaches. 
AVe have been confronted to-day by brave men, who 
fought us for three hours without flinching. AVe had 
almost lost the day, when, through a mistake of your 
left wing, we saw our opportunity and fell upon your 
rear. It was that that gave us the victory ; and I 
may as w T ell tell you frankly that we suffered more 
from your artillery than you did from ours." 

The army is indeed older than the monarchy, and 
is not of Austrian origin, being an outgrowth of the 
landskmokt (the early German infantry) of Maxi- 
milian, of Charles V., and of Ferdinand L, recruited 
from the various countries which were once grouped 



THE IMPERIAL ARMY. 195 

around Austria. In the sixteenth century it was 
composed, for the most part, of mercenaries, gathered 
in from Italy, Spain, Burgundy, Wallachia and Croa- 
tia ; but the kernel was still composed of the German 
element, as can be seen by the names of the leaders 
of that period. Under Rudolph II., in the begin- 
ning of the seventeenth century, the earliest perma- 
nent regiments were formed, though even these owed 
their first allegiance to their immediate chiefs, and 
could be transferred by them at will to service under 
some other Power. Finally, under Wallenstein, an 
Imperial army was raised, whose members owed duty 
only to the sovereign, and from the Thirty Years' 
War (1618-1648) really dates the Austrian army. 

This Imperial army was made up, like everything 
else, of good and bad qualities. Composed of widely 
opposed elements, its officers differed from one an- 
other, not only in origin, but in training and prin- 
ciples, and preserved much of the pride and inde- 
pendence of the earlier landsknecht. The severe dis- 
cipline of the Prussian army was unknown, and they 
were divided on questions of politics. Each regiment 
took good care to have at Vienna an agent or repre- 
sentative of some sort, whose duty it was to look out 
for its interests and obtain the good-will of the Gov- 
ernment. The officers were constantly talking of 
their rights, but never of their duties. The battalion 
commanders acted each as he thought best, and criti- 
cised their superiors freely ; while the Commander-in- 



196 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Chief did not by any means always obey the orders 
he received from Vienna. An army so disorganized 
and imperfect could hardly be expected to hold its 
own, and to protect the old German Empire in its 
death struggle. 

They were cheerful souls, those men who made up 
the old Imperial army, gay, careless of the future, 
ready to accept whatever the day might bring forth. 
Look at them as depicted in some of the old engrav- 
ings. A party of " Kaiserliehen," encamped on the 
borders of a stream, at the edge of the forest ; one 
roasts some geese (stolen from a neighboring farmyard \ 
which he has spitted on his ramrod ; others play at 
cards, while others lie about on the ground asleep, or 
day-dreaming. The air seems to resound with the 
noise of song and laughter. They look forward to the 
day of battle as to some fete ; everything recalls the 
picturesque tableau of Wallenstein's camp, so happily 
rendered by Schiller. The military spirit was a per- 
sonal matter, manifesting itself in the individual sol- 
dier. Comradeship was held a sacred duty, and the 
bearing of the leaders towards their subordinates bor- 
dered on familiarity. Beneath those tattered old 
uniforms, exposed to the sun and rain of so many 
different lands, there breathed a sense of personal 
dignity that the most disastrous defeats had no power 
to extinguish. A German writer has said that the 
Imperialists, had they been better officered, would 
have been invincible. 



ARMY REORGANIZATION IN 1S6S. 197 

Their name — Kaiserlichen — of which they were im- 
mensely proud, gave them a sense of being individu- 
ally attached to the person of the Emperor ; and they 
considered themselves, moreover, the greatest military 
body in Christendom. At the battle of Fleurus (1794), 
when the Prince of Coburg commanded General Juos- 
donowich to withdraw, the latter, trembling with rage 
and mortification, planted his sword in the ground, 
and shouted aloud that the army had been betrayed — 
victory was being repulsed at the very moment when 
she was smiling and beckoning them on. " Farewell 
to Austria's beautiful Belgium ! The House of Habs- 
burg will know it no more ! " 

The Austrian army has had much to suffer from the 
fatuous practice of appointing officers from among men 
of good birth, without regard to their military capacity. 
In 1850 there were five Archdukes, two Landgraves, 
twenty-four Princes, forty-six Dukes, and eighty-six 
Counts holding military rank in Austria. 

The unsuccessful Avar with Prussia in 1866, and the 
new Constitution of the following year, resulted, how- 
ever, in the complete reorganization of the army. 
The law of recruitment dates from 1868. It makes all 
men between the ages of twenty and thirty-six liable 
to military service. The term is twelve years, three 
with the colors, seven in the reserves and two in the 
Landwehr. Nine thousand of the men in excess of 
the actual budget are drafted into the " Reserve of 
Recruitment," where they receive military instruction 



198 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

during a period of eight weeks. The third part of 
the contingent is drafted directly into the Landwehr 
for twelve years, and every two years they undergo 
three weeks of battalion manoeuvres. Thus the Aus- 
trian army may be divided into two classes — the first 
composed of men whose training is completed, and 
the second of those with whom it has only been 
roughly outlined. The two represent an effective 
force which may be mobilized at any time of about 
871,000 men. As in case of war Germany can 
give her army 12 per cent, of her population, 
Russia 10 per cent., and France 9.6 per cent., while 
Austro-Hungary furnishes only 3.8 per cent., the 
project of the Landsturm | Levy-in-mass) was brought 
before, and voted upon, by the two Parliaments, 
Austrian and Hungarian, in 1886. It includes 
every man between the ages of eighteen and forty-two 
years not already connected with some other branch 
of the service, and all officers who have either retired 
or resigned. It is composed of two classes. The 
younger men (to the age of thirty-seven) may, in case 
of need, be drafted into active service, while the other 
class is to be reserved for garrison and similar duty. 
By this system the Government has at its disposal about 
four hundred thousand additional men ; but it is ques- 
tionable whether the men of the Landsturm can rightly 
be reckoned as belligerents, as they are not obliged to 
wear a uniform, and have no distinguishing mark 
other than a " bras-art." In Hungary and certain 



THE BATTLE OF CUSTOZZA. 199 

provinces of the Empire, as Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Bosnia 
and several others, the organization differs in several 
details. 

Much has been said of the Austrian cavalry and 
infantry, but the officers themselves recognize the 
superiority of the Prussian infantry. The course of 
instruction provided for privates is admirable, but it 
is hinted that it is not the same in every regiment, and 
that the men doing garrison duty in the provinces do 
not fare as well in this respect as those stationed in or 
near Vienna. Between 1868 and 1878 the staff 
underwent a number of reorganizations. At that 
time Baron Kuhn and Baron Rodich were perhaps 
better fitted than any of the other generals to com- 
mand an army, except, of course, Archduke Albert, 
son of Archduke Charles and Henrietta, Princess of 
Xassau-AVeilbourg. 

Archduke Albert was the victor of Custozza. On 
the 20th of May, 1866, Italy and Prussia declared war 
against Austria. On the 23d the Italian army endeav- 
ored to occupy the strong positions on the chain of hills 
lying between Mincio and Adigio. Ignorant of the fact 
that seventy thousand Austrians, under Archduke 
Albert, were already entrenched there (they thought the 
enemy was massed beyond Adigio), the Italians ad- 
vanced in three divisions, under Durando, Cucchiari 
and Delia Rocca, with such long intervals between 
that each division was obliged to engage the enemy 
successively. Thus, notwithstanding their splendid 



200 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

bravery, they were defeated. It was the first battle 
of the two sons of Victor Emmanuel, both of whom 
covered themselves with honor. Humbert, then Prince 
of Piedmont, succeeded in repulsing an attack of two 
regiments of Uhlans. Amedeus, Duke of Aosta, was 
wounded. The campaign ended with the battle of 
Sadowa, won by the Prussians in Bohemia, on the 3d 
of the following July. 

The influence of Archduke Albert in the army and 
at Court was unbounded ; but he was a very different 
sort of man from General Kuhn, for instance, who 
was a progressionist of the most pronounced type, 
while Archduke Albert could never adopt a new idea 
without a struggle. Xo one, however, could surpass 
him in his mastery of the art of strategy ; he could 
take in a situation at a glance, and his judgment was 
as clear and rapid, when formed amid the smoke and 
din of battle as on a parade day. His quite extra- 
ordinary knowledge of geography enabled him to 
understand and weigh intelligently all plans of opera- 
tions as they were submitted to him, and he had the 
military genius necessary to carry them out with mar- 
velous vigor. His officers stood in awe of him, but 
he was adored by his men, and to him Austria owes 
some of her most brilliant victories. From 1866 to 
1869 he was Commander-in-Chief of the army, becom- 
ing afterward In spector-General. His book, " Respon- 
sibility in War," was widely read and translated into 
several foreign lano;uao;es. He died in Februarv, 1895. 



GENERAL UCHATIUS— IMPERIAL ARSENAL. 201 

Twenty-five years ago, however, the most conspicu- 
ous personality in Austrian military circles was General 
Uchatius, the inventor of a gun that Avon him wide 
celebrity. He was born in 1811, entered the artillery 
as a cadet at the age of eighteen, and became suc- 
cessively officer, major and chief of the department 
for casting guns in the arsenal. In 1867 he was pro- 
moted to the grade of General, and, after his im- 
portant discovery of the bronze-steel that goes by his 
name, was made Chevalier and then Baron. It w 7 as 
only after twenty years of patient research that 
General Uchatius succeeded in producing a metal 
combining the valuable qualities of lightness, elasticity 
and cheapness. 

The Imperial Arsenal, where General Uchatius had 
his quarters, was erected after the revolution of 1848. 
It occupies a height lying to the south of the Belve- 
dere, in the district called Favoriten. The buildings 
are of brick, with stone dressings ; casemented bar- 
racks occupy the angles. The entrance is through a 
monumental gateway — the Commandantur-Gebdude — 
above which is seen Austria, surrounded by repre- 
sentations of the various handicrafts which have to 
do with warfare. Within are a chapel, the Army 
Museum, a cannon foundry, a gun factory, carpenters' 
yards, workshops and smithies, and there is also a 
school for cadets. 

The vast enclosure, which covers more than half a 
square mile, is like a small walled town. There are 



202 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

rows of smoking chimneys ; vehicles pass to and fro ; 
crowds of men — soldiers and workmen — stream in and 
out of the buildings ; the air is filled with the hoarse 
breathing of the furnaces and the resounding blows 
of the hammers. Admission to the foundry and cast- 
ing-rooms has been absolutely forbidden ever since a 
Russian General, while visiting them, attempted to 
surprise the secret of the construction of the Uchatius 
gun. He subsequently published, under his own name, 
a Russian translation of a pamphlet written by the 
inventor. 

Nothing more severely simple could well be im- 
agined than the apartment which served General 
Uchatius at once as bed-chamber, workshop aud office. 
A narrow iron bedstead, furnished with tent-like cur- 
tains, stood in one corner ; there was a writing-table, 
and close to it a globe, discolored and dingy with use ; 
and there were some mounted photographs of the 
General's only intimates — guns ; but for articles of 
luxury, comfort even, there were none — not a sofa, 
not an arm-chair, not a picture. It was like a Bene- 
dictine's cell, and though the occupant wore a beard, 
his head was distinctly monkish and ascetic in charac- 
ter. His face was serious, the expression gentle and 
kindly ; the brow, somewhat bent and melancholy, 
concealed behind its deep furrows the soul of a man 
who had struggled and suffered. He began with the 
dregs of the cup. " If it were all to do over again." 
he once observed, in allusion to his invention. " I 



PKUSSIA BRIBES ARSENAL EMPLOYEES. 203 

would not have the courage to undertake it." The 
entire army was against him, and the Viennese news- 
papers, which later could not make enough of him, at 
that time made him the butt for every kind of ridi- 
cule and insult. It was only after a series of com- 
pletely successful experiments that even his friends 
were convinced. At last, when the Government gave 
him his first order, a howl was heard from Herr Krupp 
that he had been robbed ! The matter was brought 
before the courts, and Uchatius, completely vindicated, 
was enabled to issue triumphant from these final 
trials. 

If any proof were needed as to the gun that bears 
his name being entirely his own invention, it would 
be found in the great trouble taken by the Prussian 
Government to discover the secret. Proceedings were 
instituted at Vienna some time in the seventies, and 
conducted with closed doors (in order to spare the 
German Chancellor) ; for Prussia, true to her tradi- 
tional policy, had bribed three employees of the 
Arsenal, and obtained from them drawings of the 
machinery used by General Uchatius in the manufac- 
ture of his guns. 

It has been stated that the war with Austria was 
already practically decided upon in Prussia when 
King William visited the Emperor Franz Joseph, at 
Vienna in 1864, and at the time — June of the same 
year — when the two sovereigns met at Carlsbad, 
Prussian officers, in the guise of peaceable citizens, 



204 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

were flooding Bohemia. They settled in the towns as 
artists, professors, librarians ; introduced themselves 
into castles as Verwalter (manager or steward), on 
farms as agriculturists, and in villages as photo- 
graphers. In this way the War Office at Berlin was 
supplied with topographical plans of the entire country 
up to the very gates of Vienna — much superior, both 
as to details and accuracy, to those owned by the Aais- 
trians themselves. But better still, they had found 
means to procure copies of all the documents and 
reports of the Austrian Minister of War, and even, 
though it seems almost incredible, the military figures 

© i * © 

destined for the correspondence of the army. This 
last achievement could not possibly have been accom- 
plished without the connivance of some of the subor- 
dinates of the bureaus, probably placed there through 
Prussian influence. Moreover, they knew at Berlin 
every smallest detail of the military organization of 
Austria, the names of the heads of the different 
corps, the effective strength under them, and the 
resources, local or otherwise, capable of being utilized 
in case of the breaking out of hostilities. 

When, in 1877, Baron X , attache of the Topo- 
graphical Military Institute of Vienna, offered to 
furnish the German Ambassador with the new plans 
of mobilization, the Prussian military attache, after 
examining them, returned them, saving that he 
" already possessed a more complete set." Who does 
not recall the remarkable revelations of the Drevfus 



THE AEMY MUSEUM. 205 

trial, when the ante-chamber of the German Embassy 
at Paris resembled the stage of a melodramatic the- 
atre? Policemen, villains, spies, members of the Secret 
Service and other mysterious individuals apparently 
meandered in and out at will, but were never seen by 
any chance when their discovery would have inter- 
fered with the development of the plot ; while the 
German attache consistently hits upon the waste-paper 
basket as the most suitable place in which to secrete 
the incriminating document. 

But to return to the Vienna Arsenal. The Army 
Museum, which faces the gateway and is entered from 
the court, is a brick building; in highlv ornate Roman- 
esque style. A severe treatment would possibly have 
been more consistent with its surroundings and pur- 
poses ; yet the general effect is in itself extremely 
pleasing. The interior is excessively rich. A great 
vestibule, surrounded by groups of marble pillars, is 
lined with fifty-six statues of Austrian heroes ; while 
the huge marble group on the stair represents Austria 
protecting her children. In the Ruhmeshalle and the 
adjoining rooms are series of frescoes, representing 
scenes from Austrian history. In the weapon rooms, 
in addition to the collections of arms, are many objects 
of great historic interest, as the sword and head-piece 
of Libussa, Queen of Bohemia ; the sword of General 
Mack, of whose futile plan to advance straight on 
Paris from the Netherlands, in the spring of 1794, 
the French observed that the Allies were always an 



206 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

idea, a year and an army behind-hand. There, too, 
is a cuirass, encrusted with gold, presented to the 
Prince of Savoy by Pope Innocent XIII., after the 
victory of Zenta (1697). The Pontiff showed more 
appreciation than the Emperor on this occasion, for 
when, after annihilating the Turkish army at the cost 
of only five hundred of his own men, and completely 
reducing Bosnia, Prince Eugene returned to Vienna, 
his sole reward consisted in a reproof for having 
given battle contrary to orders. Close by is a lock 
of the brilliant young commander's hair. In the 
same case are two relics of the battle of Liitzen, 
fought in November, 1632, by the Imperialists, com- 
manded by Wallenstein, and the Swedes, under their 
gallant and beloved King, Gustavus Adolphus. The 
first of these relics is a buff waistcoat, blood-stained 
and perforated with bullet-holes, taken from the body 
of the Swedish King, after the battle. He was lead- 
ing the attack of his cavalry on the right wing, when 
word came that his left was falling back before the 
fire of the Imperialists. He at once galloped across 
the field to rally his men ; but while reeonnoiterirnr 
the position of the enemy he was mortally wounded, 
and, with the exclamation, " My God ! my God !" fell 
from his saddle. 

AVallenstein, when he saw that the battle was inevit- 
able, had sent urgent orders recalling Pappenheim 
from a projected attack on Maurieeburgh, then held 
by the Swedes. Pappenheim accordingly arrived, 



The Arsenal 



WALLENSTEIN— HIS CAEEER. 207 

with eight regiments of cavalry, and had almost 
turned the fortunes of the day, when his own death 
so disheartened the Imperialist army that on the ap- 
proach of night Wallenstein was obliged to withdraw 
his men, leaving the Swedes masters of the field. The 
blood-soaked paper containing his last orders to Pap- 
penheim was found on the latter' s body after the battle, 
and is preserved close to the waistcoat of Gustavus 
Adolphus. 

At the time of the battle of Liitzen, Wallen stein's 
career was fast drawing to a close. 

Descended from an old Bohemian family, the birth 
of this remarkable man took place in 1583 on his 
father's estates on the Elbe. He married first a 
wealthy and elderly widow, whose entire fortune and 
lands he inherited on her death in 1614; while his 
second marriage to a daughter of the powerful Minis- 
ter, Count Harrach, brought him into intimate rela- 
tions with the Court. The Emperor Matthias died in 
1619, and it was under his successor, Ferdinand II., 
a son of Archduke Charles of Styria and Mary of 
Bohemia, that Wallenstein won his brilliant 5 " military 
reputation. 

In the spring of the year 1626 the Emperor found 
himself in urgent need of troops devoted to the interests 
of the House of Austria, and who might be relied upon 
to act independent of the wishes and plans of Bavaria 
and the League. Such a force, to number about 
thirty-five thousand men, Wallenstein offered to raise, 



208 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

and to provide, moreover, for its equipment and 
maintenance. The offer was eagerly accepted, and 
Wallenstein was given absolute authority to levy his 
men and appoint his officers without interference 
from any one. Thus was formed the famous army 
with which, during the three succeeding years, Wal- 
lenstein won a series of splendid victories for the 
House of Austria. Then the jealous and well-founded 
fears of the Princes, who saw their estates and prin- 
cipalities on the eve of absorption into the Habs- 
burg dominions, demanded the disgrace of the too 
powerful General. Ferdinand, therefore, most unwil- 
lingly signed the order of dismissal in July, 1629, and 
Wallenstein withdrew to his Bohemian estates, where 
for several years he lived in orreat magnificence, main- 
taining his vast establishment on a royal scale. Many 
of his former officers, who shared in his disgrace, held 
offices in his household ; he had suites of pages, attend- 
ants and servants. A thousand horses were maintained 
in his stables, and when he traveled his suite num- 
bered a hundred carriages. 

In 1630 Gustavus Adolphus determined to come to 
the aid of the oppressed Protestants of Germany, and 
in June of that year he landed with a considerable 
force at Rugen. By the summer of 1632 his successes 
had been so remarkable, and his army had been so 
largely augmented, that Ferdinand found himself 
seriously threatened. Tilly was dead, and there was 
but one man who could be counted upon successfully 



GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS'S DEATH. 209 

to oppose the victorious advance of the Swedish King; 
that man was Wallenstein. The Emperor accordingly 
sent him imploring messages to come to his assistance. 
For some time Wallenstein held off, but at length, 
having obtained a promise of absolute supremacy, 
providing that not the Emperor himself, nor his son, 
was to have any control over the government or move- 
ments of the army, Wallenstein agreed once more to 
raise a force and to place himself at its head. His first 
encounter with Gustavus Adolphus occurred near Nu- 
remberg, and resulted in victory for the Imperialists^ 
A few months later the two armies met again at Lutzen, 
when, as already described, the Swedes won the battle, 
but lost their leader. For a little over a year longer 
Wallenstein remained at the head of the Imperialist 
army; but the Emperor found that in recalling him he 
had bound a heavy burden upon his own back. " It 
is as though I had a co-rex" he declared. " I am not 
free to act as I see fit in my own dominions." With 
the Emperor in this frame of mind, it was not difficult 
for Wallenstein's enemies, with Maximilian, the power- 
ful Elector of Bavaria, at their head, to procure his 
downfall — only this time it was determined to make it 
final. 

In February, 1634, Wallenstein, who was fully aware 
of the plots against him, went to Eger, a fortress on 
the Bohemian frontier ; he had been negotiating with 
both the Swedes and the Saxons, and on finding him- 
self seriously threatened at home, had, with a view to 
14 



210 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

his own safety, sent word to the Duke of Weimer to 
mass his troops on the Bohemian frontier. Some 
knowledge of these plans had come to one Colonel 
Walter Butler, an Irishman, serving under Wallen- 
stein. This officer was marching with his regiment 
of dragoons towards Prague, when he met Wallenstein 
on his w r ay to Eger, and was ordered to turn and accom- 
pany the General. Circumstances occurred on the 
march to strengthen his suspicion that Wallenstein 
was meditating treachery, and he sent a message to 
some of his brother officers declaring that he accom- 
panied Wallenstein under compulsion, but that it might 
turn out that his so doing was " a special providence 
of God to achieve some particular heroic deed." 

The commandant of the fortress of Eger was 
John Gordon, a Scotsman. Another Scotsman, named 
Walter Leslie, was a major of cuirassiers, serving 
under Adam Terzka, a brother-in-law of Wallenstein. 
Terzka's cuirassiers had formed part of the escort to 
Eger. These three men, Leslie, Gordon and Butler, 
now formed a plot to assassinate the General. Gordon 
invited four officers, who were known to be faithful to 
Wallenstein, to a supper in the citadel. As the dessert 
was placed on the table, a party of dragoons, under 
another Irishman named Devereux, was suddenly 
introduced into the hall. The guests were surrounded, 
and, after a brief struggle, were all dispatched. The 
conspirators then proceeded to Wallenstein's apart- 
ments. He had taken a bath and was on the point of 



ASSASSINATION OF WALLENSTEIN. 211 

getting into bed. Pushing past his valet, who was 
bringing his master his evening draught of beer in a 
silver tankard, they burst into the room. Wallenstein 
was in his shirt, leaning against a table. Quite un- 
armed, he could offer no resistance, and fell at the first 
thrust of Devereux's partisan. 

Wallenstein was a tall, spare man, very pale, with 
reddish hair and extraordinarily brilliant eyes. He 
was all his life greatly influenced by astrology, and an 
hour before his death had been consulting with the 
famous astrolger, Giovanni Seni, whose calculations, it 
is said, warned him of his impending danger. 

There is a story told of how he once was restored 
to health, after a serious illness, by entrusting himself 
to the ministrations of a former soldier of his army. 

It was in 1626, when his constitution had become 
seriously undermined by exposure in the Hungarian 
campaign. One stormy evening a carriage drove 
up before the doors of the Palace Harrach, on 
the Freiung, in Vienna, and Wallenstein, desperately 
ill, was lifted out and carried in on a litter. ' 

A few days later a common soldier, a Croatian, 
presented himself at the doors and demanded to see 
the General. He was refused, but persisted so noisily 
that the uproar reached the sick man's ears, and the 
servants were obliged to explain the cause. 

" Let him in," said Wallenstein. 

No sooner had he set eyes on the stranger than he 
raised himself in bed and cried out : 



212 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

" Oh, it is you, is it — the Gitschin rascal ! I re- 
member you perfectly." 

Wallenstein knew every soldier in his army, and 
never forgot a face. 

" Yes," said the man, " I am that ' Gitschin brute' ! " 
and he came close to the bedside. " General, this was 
the way of it. I was drunk, and here you and Pap- 
penheim come riding down the dirtiest street in all 
Gitschin, and I passed close by you, with never a 
thought whether I splashed generals or only ordinary 
people. Then you stood right up in your stirrups and 
called out, and your voice shook, you were so angry, 
i Hang the brute ! ' Faith, I didn't want to be hung, 
so what did I do but fire. The ball must have whis- 
tled close to your ear. And then you just settled in 
your saddle, and you said, in the quietest way — I can 
hear you now — ' Let the brute go ! ' General, you 
spared my life that day, and I have come here now to 
save yours." 

There was a short pause, the two men looking one 
another steadily in the eve. 

"General," said the Croatian, presently, "don't 
you believe all the doctors tell you. Sometimes an 
ignorant man like me knows more than any of them. 
I know what is the matter with you, and I can cure 
you." 

" Are you a sorcerer ? " 

" No, General, I am not ; but I have an old remedy 
for your trouble." 



WALLEXSTEIX'S RECOVERY FROM ILLNESS. 213 

" I ask no better than to try it." 

" Good ! Then give your people orders to let me 
into the kitchen, while I go to buy some herbs that I 
need. I will prepare a medicine ; and if you take it I 
will guarantee your recovery. I swear it ! " 

And, sure enough, Wallenstein, having faithfully 
followed the man's directions, was shortly completely 
cured. 



CHAPTER XII. 

The Hof burg — Austria in Charlemagne's Time — The Oslmark — The 
Romans and Avars — The Babenberg House — Henry Jasomir- 
gott — The Duchy — Trade with the East — The Emperor Freder- 
ick II.— Otakar II. of Bohemia— Rudolph, Founder of the 
House of Habsburg— Early Adventures — Elected Emperor — 
Albert I. — His Assassination — The Emperor Henry VII. — Sus- 
picious Circumstances of his Death — Albert II. — Imperial Dig- 
nity and the House of Habsburg — Growing Importance of 
Vienna— Frederick III. Imprisoned in the Hofburg — Matthias 
Corvinus — Maximilian I. — Marries Mary of BurguuJy — Her 
Death — Greatness of Maximilian's Reign — Aulic Council — 
Charles V. — First Siege of Vienna by the Turks — Ferdinand I. 
— Maximilian II.— Matthias— The Court Established in Vienna 
— The Defenestratio Pragensis— The Thirty Years' War — Car- 
dinal Clesel Seized — Death of Matthias — Ferdinand II. — A 
Religious Emperor — Protestant Disturbances — Ferdinand's Nar- 
row Escape — His Reign — Impression Left on Vienna — Corpus 
Christi Procession— The "Vienna Chapel" — Ferdinand III. — 
Vienna Besieged by the Swe 1— Monument in the Hof— Death 
of the Emperor— Leopold L— Second Siege by the Turks— The 
Emperor's Funeral— Joseph I. — His Dislike of the Jesuits — 
Dies of Small-pox — Treatment of the Disease — Schonbrunu — 
Charles VI. — His Antiquarian Tastes— Fisher von Erlach — 
The Imperial Library— Prince Eugene— Builds the Belvedere — 
Brilliant Victories — Life in Vienna — Death — The Hofburg in 
the Eighteenth Century — Etiquette of the Court — The Empress 
Christina of Brunswick — The Pragmatic Sanction. 

The Imperial Hof burg, for nearly three hundred 
years the official residence of the House of Austria, 

214 



THE OSTMAEK FORMED INTO A DUCHY. 215 

is an irregular agglomeration of buildings, dating from 
different periods, built in no particular style and im- 
posing only from its size. Around it, however, there 
hovers a cloud of splendid memories, and every stone 
speaks of a historic past. 

The easternmost district of the dominions of the 
Emperor Charlemagne (7G8-814) was the tract of 
country lying between the Enns and the Raab. From 
the name Ostmark, or Eastern-march, by which it 
came to be called, is derived the modern Oesterreich — 
Austria. 

In the century which followed that of Charle- 
magne's death, Otho II. (973-983) granted the Ost- 
mark to the House of Babenberg in fief. The Romans, 
when they held this territory, had built a town 
which they called Yindobona, and although there is 
no evidence to that effect, it is extremely probable that 
the Avars, who succeeded them, until they were them- 
selves driven out by Charlemagne, continued to occupy 
this site. We have, however, no actual account of 
Vienna as a city until the time of the Babenberg Duke, 
Henry II. (1141-1177), " Jasomirgott" (from Ja so 
mir Gott helfe, an exclamation that was constantly on 
his lips). He was a son of the Margrave Leopold V., 
in whose time the Ostmark, together with Styria and 
Carniola, was formed into a duchy. By an agreement 
made between Henry Jasomirgott and the Emperor 
Barbarossa the Ostmark was detached from Styria and 
Carniola, formed into a distinct duchy, and conferred 



216 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

on Duke Henry as an inalienable fief. On failure of 
male issue it was to descend in the female line, and 
on failure of the female line to be disposed of by will. 
These matters arranged, Duke Henry established his 
capital at Vienna and took up his residence in the 
Markgrafenburg, on the site of the present Hof burg. 

Vienna had by now become a busy and important 
town ; it had several streets, two churches — St. 
Stephanas and the Pfarr Church, now St. Rupert's — 
a market-place, and a number of shops and manufac- 
tories. During the period of the Crusades the town 
attained in fact a most remarkable growth. Owing 
to its situation near the banks of the Danube, it 
became the centre of an enormous traffic with the 
East, and by the latter part of the thirteenth century 
had grown to the dimensions of the present Old 
Town. 

In the meantime the male descent from Henrv 
Jasomirgott had failed ; his great-grandson, Fred- 
erick II. the Warlike, died in 1246 without issue 
and without a will. Three female claimants at 
once arose. The all-powerful Emperor Frederick II. 
set all their claims aside, attached the duchy to the 
Imperial Crown, and appointed the Count of Werden- 
berg to be its ruler. A period of disorder followed 
the death of the Emperor; the duchy was annexed 
first by one neighboring State and then by another, 
and formed part of the domains of Otakar II. of 
Bohemia when, in 1273, after an interregnum of 



RUDOLPH OF HABSBUKG. 217 

nearly twenty years, Rudolph of Habsburg, the 
founder of the House of Austria, was chosen by the 
German Electors to succeed the Emperor Conrad IV. 

Rudolph of Habsburg was at that time in his fifty- 
fifth year; but his stormy and adventurous career 
had not, if tradition is to be believed, been without 
premonitions of coming greatness. It is told that he 
was one day hunting a wild boar down a narrow 
valley, through which rushed a mountain torrent, 
swollen by recent rains. On the bank he saw a priest, 
bearing the viaticum, who stood irresolute, not daring 
to attempt the dangerous passage. 

" My father/' cried the Count, " you must mount 
into my saddle ! It is the only possible way of cross- 
ing ; and, moreover, my horse has too often been the 
bearer of death in these forests to miss this oppor- 
tunity of carrying life and hope." 

The priest gratefully accepted the offer, and Ru- 
dolph, after watching till he had reached the other side 
in safety, fell on his knees beneath a great oak tree 
and began to offer up prayers for the departing soul. 

In due course of time the priest returned ; but as 
he was about to dismount, the other stopped him, 
begging that he would keep the horse, and thence- 
forth consecrate it to the service of God. 

The following day, Rudolph, while on his way to 
visit the Abbey of Fahr, met an old nun called Sister 
Bertha, who, to his great amazement, saluted him by 
the title of Emperor. 



218 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

" What do you mean by that ?" demanded the 
Count. 

" I mean," replied the sister, " that as you yester- 
day performed a good and holy deed, it is right that 
you should know that you and your descendants are 
destined to sit upon the Imperial throne." 

The early years of Rudolph's career had been an 
almost continuous succession of struggles with the 
neighboring barons — struggles which invariably re- 
sulted, however, in the strengthening and increasing 
of his own domains. 

In 1273, while engaged in a quarrel with the Abbot 
of St. Gallen, he received news from Basle that the 
townsmen, backed by their Bishop, had massacred a 
number of nobles, friends and relatives of Rudolph, 
at a recent tournament. Instantly making peace with 
the Abbot, and securing him as an ally, Rudolph hur- 
ried oif to attack Basle. It was at this juncture that 
he heard of his election. 

After laying waste the surrounding country, he had 
encamped before the city, and was only awaiting the 
expiration of a truce to continue the attack, when he 
was awakened one night in his tent by his nephew, 
Frederick of Hohenzollern, who brought him word 
of his elevation. Notwithstanding Sister Bertha, 
Rudolph was utterly astounded and could hardly 
credit the news ; but the people of Basle, when they 
heard it, threw open their gates, saying, in reply to 
the Bishop's angry remonstrances, that they had taken 



THE EMPEROR RUDOLPH-ALBERT I. 219 

arms against the Count of Habsburg, not against the 
Roman Emperor. Upon which the indignant and 
impious prelate is said to have exclaimed, " Sit fast, , 
thou Lord God, or Rudolph will occupy thy throne !" 

Rudolph at once set about increasing his posses- 
sions, both by war and by means of those more 
peaceable methods for which his house later became 
famous. By marrying one of his daughters to a son 
of Henry of Bavaria, he gained over that province to 
his side and was able to attack the powerful Otakar 
II., King of Bohemia. The campaign closed with 
the siege and capture of Vienna by Rudolph, who 
was left in possession of Austria, Styria, Carinthia, 
Carniola and Windischmark. Peace was further 
assured by intermarriages between the sons and 
daughters of Otakar and Rudolph. 

Under Albert L, son and successor of Rudolph, a 
revolt broke out among the Swiss Cantons, which had 
been forcibly annexed by his father ; and it is to this 
period that the legend of William Tell and Gessler is 
assigned. I n 1308 Albert was assassinated on the 
banks of the Reuss, by his nephew John, whose in- 
heritance he had withheld. Through the influence of 
Baldwin, Elector of Treves, and Peter, Archbishop 
of Mentz, the Count of Luxembourg was chosen to 
succeed him as Emperor, under the title of Henry 
VII. His appointment was confirmed by the Pope, 
Clement V. The coronation took place at Aix-la- 
Chapelle, and later in the Church of St. John Latcran, 



220 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

at Rome ; and Henry crossed the Alps at the head of 
an army. Five years later he died suddenly, near 
Siena, at a moment so opportune for his enemies that 
the story was circulated and commonly believed that 
he had received poison in a consecrated wafer, from a 
Dominican friar named Bernard di Montepulciano. 

" Assassin ! " the Emperor is reported to have cried, 
in his death agony, " you have administered death to 
me in the bread of eternal life. Fly ! save yourself ! 
or my Germans will surely kill you." 

It was not until the year 1438 that the Imperial 
dignity was restored to the House of Habsburg, in 
the person of Albert II. ; but from that date to the 
abdication of Francis II., in 1806, every Emperor, 
with the two only exceptions of Charles VII. of Ba- 
varia (1742-1745) and Francis I. of Lorraine (1745- 
1765), were Habsburgs. 

Vienna now became more and more identified with 
the House of Austria ; successive rulers made the 
Hofburg their occasional place of residence, adding 
to it and erecting new buildings in other parts of the 
town. Duke Rudolph IV. (1358-1365), called the 
Founder, from the number and importance of his 
institutions, rebuilt the already existing Church of 
St. Stephan and founded the University of Vienna. 1 

In the fifteenth century the Hofburg served on one 
occasion (1462) as a prison for its Imperial resident, 
when the Viennese, siding with Albert, brother of the 

1 See page 44. 



The University 



FREDERICK III.— MAXIMILIAN I. 221 

Emperor Frederick III., in a quarrel that had arisen 
between them, shut the latter into the citadel, together 
with the Empress and their young son (afterwards the 
Emperor Maximilian L), and conducted the siege so 
strictly that the garrison had almost exhausted its 
supply of food, when Podiabrad, Kiug of Bohemia, 
sent his son, at the head of a considerable force, and 
relieved the castle. Maximilian never forgot this 
incident, and though he was barely five years old 
at the time, he could never quite forgive the Viennese 
for the hunger and discomfort they forced him to en- 
dure during the siege. 

In 1477 Vienna was attacked and captured by 
Matthias Corvinus of Hungary, and it was not until 
after his death, in 1490, that Maximilian not only won 
back his own Austrian possessions, but assumed the 
title of King of Hungary. Maximilian I. was the 
true founder of the greatness of his house. 

" Uniting in his person those wide domains through 
Germany which had been dispersed among the collateral 
branches of his house, and claiming, by his 'marriage 
with Mary of Burgundy ' most of the territories of 

1 If the tradition may be trusted, which assigns to King Matthias 
Corvinus the oft-quoted Latin epigram, 

" Bella gerant alii ; tu, felix Austria, nube ; 
Nam quae Mars aliis, dat regna Venus." 

" Wars let others wage, but thou, lucky Austria, marry; 

For kingdoms which Mars gives to others, Venus gives to thee;" 

it would refer to this marriage. Mary of Burguudy died in 1482, 



222 VIENNA AUTO THE VIENNESE. 

Charles the Bold, he was a Prince gjreater than any 

had sat on the Teut nic thr ne since th< leathof] 
eriek the Second. But it was as Arch I ike : Austria, 
Count ■ :' I~u \. ]>.C:r : >:■■■;:■.. ..::". <_:;::.::_::.. :eu."L\I 
- eri : : lands in Swabia, Als ad Switzerland, 

that he was great — n : - B man Emperor. F r. just 
as 6 >m him the Austrian monarchy I _.:>. sc with him 
the Holy Empire, in its I I meaning, aids. . . . It is 
d : oly in imperial history that the J ssi n of Maxi- 
milian is lark. That time — a time of change 
and movement in every part of human life, a time 
when printing had become common and books were no 
longer ~ the rgy, when drilled troops were 
g the feudal militia, when the is f gunpowder 
was hanging the face of war — was especially marked 
. i even:, bo which the h i fers no 
parallel.!:--: re r since — the dis - 

To Maximilian Vienna nres the establishment of 
an Imperial Court, the Re . - A ili Coun- 

cil, which, under one term or an i ntinues to 
exist down to the present day. 

Maximilian's _. - I g ssor, the 

Charles V.. spent his youth in (he Netherlands. On 
rf his m a .1 the 

lie, he assum - : _ :nment of Spain. 
the result fa fid] . n 1 - . She was ttwenty-fiv 

X as I og as I live," exclaimed Maximilian, as her body 

shall ] . feol _Lne." 

: T, z H< - 1 James Bryee 



■:ha7.iz.- v.— fzj.io'av: : __; 

Vienna, therefore, saw him but little, and in 1521— 22 

nand. Ferdinand was in Vienna in 1529, when die 

1 u.l:-. Z'-.zrii.^ Llz-: A'iszri2, ::.::. H";:_ :;\ i:.: . -I:-.-: 
to- it. He, with his court, fled to Linz, leaving the 
capital to be protected by Micholas V n >dm. The 
7 ■;.-.>.- : :iL-:^i'i~l ;-. :~~—- ne ."..;-- —-_-.- v... _ .— - 
successful assault and then i: 

Ferdinand, brother and successor (in Austria) of 
Charles V., and his son, Maximilian II., held their 
Courts alternately at Prague an I Vienna, while 

Pl'iI:. .- II.. -:- : M:.~ - II.. irVt: i: 

:■: Vienna at all after he became Emperor. His 
brother Matthias (1612-1619), on the other hand, 
he first to establish the Court permanently at 
Vienna, and there ever since his : has remained. 

M :..::". ■.:.: - ~; » '."':::,: in tl~ K:::::_. 7rr." :_. i.vl 
gouty, when he received news of the event called the 
u Defenestratio Pragen-:-.'" His was the attempted 
murder of two Catholic Councilors of Prague ; 

extraordinary method of throwing them out of 
the window. The conspirators, headed by th-r 
testant Count Matthias Thurn, entered the Bohemian 
Chancellerie at Prague on the 2 : 11 -. 1618, ex- 
pelled two of the Councilors, and executed sommary 
justice on the others, 

u . . . Martinitz and Slawata, it was resolved there 
and then tor ecording to ancient Bohemian 

usage, by the . punishment of "defenestration," by 



viz: ".',. A5i rzz :z: : z-i 

plunging them, as the~ were, in then Spanish costume, 
with cloaks and hats, fro^i tbe window into the dry 
'..:... : :„-> : -:_t T-: :-:z:pLf:-= '.-- ::. :_t -- :-rt- 
: 7. Philip Fabric: > - precipitated after them. 
XI: " : .- :. - _ : :: Ht : - ::" teei 

owing to their cloaks filling with air and there] 
breaking their ikll. and to their alighting on a hear I 
waste paper and other rubbish, they all of them mira- 
cakmdy escaped with their lives. The very humble 
and very poli : - rxpedited last, is said 

to have had sufficient presence of mind, as he fell upon 

n MartinitZj most earnestly to beg his ExceUeu 
• :"_-."- 

Th I in a neighboring 

house and protected until they could _ I he- 

rnia. The secret red at once to Vienna, where 

he brought the first intelligence of the nJ the 
Emperor. 2 

The Emperor Matthias and his chief 
dinal C. _idy judged that this act of the Pro- 

:--.--:__ - - - " .. 

have tried to avert finther trouble by conciliation, but 
ois course Archduke Ferdinand, cousin and heir 3 

die Emperor would by no mean; _ ^nd the 

1 Verse's Jwrn'j* Owrfe 

: .- .1 !-: -_r -:-t : I _ • 1 ~ : 1 Z ' ;'.'.' 

3 Matthias's two brothers, Marraiiliaa and Albeit, bent? childless, 
lad resigned their dane to their coram Ferdinand, who had nsae 

_ :_-. >: ii :: *=•:-.-= :_t £-;-:=asi;- :.: :~; ±z:z.- 



EMPEROR MATTHIAS-CARDIXAL CLE.-EL. 225 

•• I'erenestratio Piagensi& " ushered in the T 
Years' Wj i . 

Matthias, worn out and evidently dying, lay faming 
and helpless in his bed in the Hoi ng, while his 
cousin Ferdinand, who had already 
K i d _ both of Bohemia and Hungary - ely directed 
the policy of the Government ° The Emperor is de- 
serted by every e fee the Sax present 
u there being 1 very few in his ante-chamber at die 
nary hour of attendance, whereas in the King's apart- 
ments [Ferdinand als resi in the H fl mg when 
in Vienna] there issoch vd that aecan scarcely 
move/ 3 

Cardinal Clesel still sto los to the E 

sst g enough t intei : re with Fer- 
dinand's plans. The King &ei : re induced him 
day to come t - tments, where he was b 

ed of his Cardinal's robes and hat, and hurried 
by a private passag :.y out of the palace and : 
H was kept closely confined rs, and then 

allowed - _ I ES . . where he lived in the I 

_ >. In 1627 he was recalled -man 

Emperor who had banished him. and entered 

Vienna amid : _. _ - ther public de- 

strations. H lied in 1 - sting to the last 

against tl. '_ try : Ferdinand's treatment of the 

- its, ad was 1 in tfa I ihedral of St 

St an. 

The news of Clesel's banishment was ght to 

15 



226 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Matthias by Archduke Maximilian (his brother) and 
King Ferdinand. The unfortunate Emperor, now 
having no one about him upon whom he could rely, 
was powerless to resent it ; he was furiously angry, 
but rather than let this be seen, he stuffed the bed- 
clothes into his mouth, until he could control himself. 
Eight months later he died, and was the first of the 
Emperors to be laid in the Imperial vault of the 
Capuchin Church. At the moment of the Emperor's 
death, Ferdinand found himself in a very dangerous 
position. Count Matthias Thurn had marched a 
Bohemian army into Austria almost unopposed, and 
was now beneath the walls of Vienna. The King 
was in the H of burg, without soldiers or money. His 
advisers, the Jesuits, urged flight and a temporizing 
policy ; but he would agree to neither. The Viennese, 
who were largely Protestants, had been obliged to 
deliver up their arms to the Governor ; but they con- 
tinued to assemble in the streets, and could be heard 
under the windows of the Hofburg, threatening to 
shut the King up in a monastery in order to be rid 
of him. 

Count Thurn had his headquarters near the Stu- 
benthor, and the siege was pressed until the very 
walls of the Hofburg were battered by the Bohemian 
guns, planted near the Church of St. Ulric. On the 
night of the 6th of June (1619) Ferdinand was driven 
from his own apartments by the enemy's lire, while 
the attitude of the citizens became vet more threaten- 



FERDINAND II.— SIEGE OF VIENNA. 227 

ing. The King spent the remainder of the night in 
prayer before a crucifix, and, as he afterwards as- 
serted, received a supernatural assurance of safety. 
On the following day some members of the Austrian 
Estates suddenly burst in upon him, and violently 
demanded his signature to an agreement of union with 
Bohemia. Ferdinand refused, whereupon one of 
them, clutching him by a button of his doublet, cried, 
u Xandel [the diminutive for Ferdinand], give in — 
thou mud sign !" 

At that moment there was heard a flourish of 
trumpets in the courtyard below. The Councilors, 
alarmed, hurried off to see what it meant. A report 
spread through the town that a large body of soldiers 
had won its way in to relieve the Emperor. A panic 
ensued, and by the time that the relieving force was 
discovered to consist of only five hundred cuirassiers, 
under Dampierrc, who had slipped in by the un- 
guarded water-gate near the Danube, it was too late 
to stem the rising tide of loyalty to the King ; and a 
few days later, hearing that Prague was threatened, 
Count Thurn was obliged to raise the siege. Ferdi- 
nand very naturally attributed his rescue to a miracu- 
lous intervention of heaven in his behalf. 

Ferdinand left a distinct and enduring impression 
upon Vienna. One religious order after another was 
welcomed by him to the capital, and established there. 
He completed the Capuchin Church, begun by Mat- 
thias ; and his wife, Eleanora of Mantua, built the 



228 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Loretto Chapel in the Augustines' Church, to receive 
the hearts of the Emperors. Ferdinand, finding that 
the solemn procession of Corpus Christi was frequently 
disturbed by conflicts between Catholic and Protestant 
mobs, inaugurated the custom of taking part in it in 
person — a custom which the Austrian sovereigns have 
ever since observed. The late Empress of Austria is 
said to have given great offence by sometimes refus- 
ing to join in this procession. Ferdinand also founded 
the "Vienna Chapel," to furnish music for the services 
of the church. 

His son, Ferdinand III., almost repeated in 1645 
the experience of his father during the siege of 1019. 
A Swedish army lay encamped before Vienna, while 
the Emperor, frightened but determined, insisted upon 
remaining in the Hofburg, having previously dis- 
patched the Imperial archives and treasure, with 
almost his entire Court, to Gratz. The Swedes were 
at last forced to abandon the siege, and the Emperor, 
in fulfillment of a vow made in the hour of danger, 
erected a monument commemorative of the dogma of 
the Immaculate Conception in the Platz am Hof in 
Vienna. This monument was replaced in 1667 by 
his son, Leopold I., by the one we see there to-day. 

Ferdinand died in the Hofburg. He was lying 
there ill, when on the night of April 2, 1657, a lire 
broke out in his apartment. A halberdier of the 
guard seized the cradle containing the Emperor's 
youngest child, to convey it to a place of safety. In 



DEATH OF LEOPOLD L— JOSEPH I. 229 

his haste he fell and broke the cradle, and although 
the child was not hurt, the Emperor received such a 
fright that he died in a few hours. 

During the reign of his son, Leopold I., the Turks 
again overran Austria. Their siege of Vienna in 
1683, and its defence under Count Starhemberg, have 
been referred to in a previous chapter. 

Leopold I. died in 1705, after a reign of forty- 
eight years. His body, habited in Spanish costume, 
with hat, cloak and sword, lay in state for three days 
in the Rittersaal of the Hofburg. The heart was 
deposited in the Loretto Chapel, and the bowels in 
St. Stephan's. The body was conveyed to the Capu- 
chin Church by night, through streets illumiuated by 
innumerable torches, while an enormous throng of 
courtiers and ecclesiastics, bearing lighted tapers, ac- 
companied it on foot. No fewer than thirteen of the 
religious orders, to whom the Emperor had shown the 
strongest attachment, were represented. 

Leopold's son, Joseph I., was educated in a far 
more liberal school than was his ascetic and" monkish 
father. He was taught to look with distrust upon 
the growing influence exercised by the priests in secu- 
lar affairs. Especially active and meddlesome had 
the Jesuits become, and the young Emperor's former 
tutor, Rumniel, devoted himself with great zest to the 
task of circumventing them. Accordingly a ghostly 
visitor began to disturb the peace of the Hofburg, 
and for several successive nights the Emperor was 



230 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

awakened by a shadowy form, which warned him to 
get rid of Hummel. Frederick Augustus the Strong, 
Elector of Saxony, was in Vienna at the time, and 
hearing of this, he quietly obtained permission to pass 
a night in the Emperor's room. When the ghost ap- 
peared, the powerful Elector suddenly rose up and 
flung it out of the window into the deep fosse below 
(where the present Imperial Library now stands). 
No more ghosts were seen, aud the Emperor conceived 
a strong dislike of Jesuits ; he refused to have a 
Jesuit for confessor, and when this was resented, 
threatened to expel all members of the order from 
Austria. 

Joseph I. reigned only six years, being carried off 
in 1711 by that scourge of the eighteenth century — 
small-pox. The treatment of this dread disease was very 
little understood at that time, the main idea apparently 
being to shut the patient up as closely as possible. 
Joseph, wrapped in " a piece of English flannel, nearly 
twenty yards in length," was kept in a room from 
which every breath of air was rigidly excluded, and 
when, notwithstanding this care, he died, it was 
thought that the Jesuits must have given him poison. 
Two Empresses, six Archdukes and Archdnchesses 
and two Electors died of small-pox in the Austrian 
dominions during the eighteenth century. 

The Emperor Joseph had an especial liking fur 
Schonbrunn; a former hunting-lodge of the Emperor 
Matthias, situated near Vienna, on the Wien. At the 



CHARLES VI.— PRINCE EUGENE. 231 

time of his death he was deeply immersed in plans 
for completing the chateau, which Leopold I. had 
begun there. This chateau was altered by Joseph's 
niece, the Empress Maria Theresa, into the building 
which we see to-day. It became famous as the head- 
quarters of Napoleon in 1805, and again in 1809, and 
later it was the residence of the ex-Empress Marie 
Louise, and of her son, the Duke de Reichstadt. 

Under Charles VI., who succeeded Joseph, Vienna 
was beautified by the erection of many fine buildings. 
This Emperor had artistic and antiquarian tastes. He 
was a great collector of coins, pictures and books, and 
employed that admirable architect, Fisher Von 
Erlach, to erect suitable buildings to contain them. 
It was he who built the Imperial Library, wherein he 
placed not only his own books and MSS., but the 
library of Prince Eugene, which he purchased on the 
latter's death, in 1736. Prince Eugene was likewise 
a public benefactor to Vienna. In 1714, when there 
was a fierce outbreak of the plague, he, in order to 
give employment to some of the thousands of persons 
thrown out of work, erected a number of handsome 
buildings, notably the Belvedere, which was after- 
wards purchased by Maria Theresa. 

Prince Eugene was a grandson of Charles Emanuel 
of Savoy ; his father was an officer of the Swiss 
Guards at the Court of Louis XIV. His mother was 
Olympia Mancini, one of the gay nieces of Cardinal 
Mazarin. She got into hot water at the Tuileries, 



232 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

and, obliged to leave France, settled in Brussels, 
where Eugene was educated. When twenty years 
old he endeavored to obtain an appointment in the 
French army, but was refused. He next turned to 
the Austrian Court, where he was immediately given 
a commission, and from thenceforth devoted his bril- 
liant military talents to the service of the House of 
Habsburg. After his victory over the Turks at 
Zsnta, in 1697, Louis recognized the mistake he had 
made and tried to lure the young commander back with 
glittering offers of gold and high military rank, but 
without success. The loyal, upright, ugly little man had 
offered his sword to Austria and it had been accepted, 
and for the rest of his life he never wavered in his 
allegiance, although the brilliant victories he won for 
his adopted country sometimes met with very poor 
reward. He was the greatest general Austria ever 
had, and won no fewer than thirteen important bat- 
tles. The closing years of his life lie passed amid the 
most peaceful pursuits in Vienna, adding to his col- 
lections, conducting a large correspondence, assisting 
in the councils of State, and taking a lively and bene- 
ficent interest in schemes for the improvement of the 
industrial conditions of Vienna. His evenings he 
invariably spent in the company of his devoted friend, 
the widow of Count Adam Batthiany, Ban of 
Croatia. 

" Eugene's well-known cream-colored horses, with 
pink harness, used of themselves to find the way from 



Interior of the Belvedere 



PRIXCE EUGEXE— HIS DEATH. 233 

the palace of the Prince to that of the beautiful 
Countess, where they would stop of their own accord, 
although now and then it was some time before any 
one alighted, because Eugene was asleep within the 
coach, the coachman asleep on the box, the heyduck 
asleep on the steps at the carriage door, and the two 
footmen asleep in the rumble." As the Prince was 
not then an old man — he was but seventy-two when 
he died — Xature must have been taking her revenge 
for the manner in which she had formerly been 
defrauded, for it is said that, in his prime, he usually 
slept only about three hours. 

One April morning, in the year 1737, he was found 
dead in his bed, his head buried in his hands. "AYhen 
Prince Eugene's servants went into his chamber 
this morning," writes Mr. Robinson, British Minister 
at the Court of Vienna, under date of April 27th, 
1737, "they found him extinguished in his bed, like a 
taper. He dined yesterday as usual, and played cards 
at night with his ordinary company, but with such 
appearance as prognosticated to nice observers the 
crisis of his life. ... In a word, my lord, his life 
was glorious, and his death easy.''' 

The Emperor Charles VI. was the last strictly to 
enforce the pompous and wearisome system of Court 
etiquette imported into Austria from Spain. The 
Hofburg at that time still preserved the appearance 
of a mediaeval fortress. A traveler, writing in 1704, 
says that it was "of mean appearance, especially the 



234 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

inner courtyard, with the apartments of the Emperor ; 
the walls thick and ponderous, like a city wall ; the 
staircases dark, without any ornament ; the rooms low 
and narrow, the flooring of common deal, meaner than 
which could not be found in the house of the hum- 
blest citizen. All is as plain as if it were built for 
poor friars. On a small spot, called the ' Paradise 
Garden,' ! fenced in with walls, under the windows of 
the apartments of the Empress, some flowers and 
shrubs drag on a stunted existence." 

Amid these unpretending surroundings the most 
elaborate ceremonial was observed. The members of 
the Imperial family exacted " the Spanish Reverence " 
from nobles even of the highest rank. This consisted 
in making a profound obeisance and kneeling on one 
knee. It was ordered that, when the Emperor's name 
occurred in the public reading of proclamations, ora- 
tions, and such like, it must likewise be received with 
"the Spanish Reverence." The court dress was 
Spanish — a short, black cloak, trimmed with point 
lace ; a broad-brimmed hat, turned up on one side, with 
a long plume ; red shoes and stockings. But the pow- 
dered, flowing wig, in vogue in France in the eight- 
eenth century, had been added by the Emperor. No 
one else was permitted to appear at Court wearing any 
kind of wig. 

On the occasion of a state dinner the Ambassadors 
and the Papal Nuncio attended standing, but were 

1 Eliminated in 1809. 



ETIQUETTE OF THE COURT. 235 

permitted to retire when the Emperor had taken his 
first draught of wine. The meals always began, 
whether on occasions of ceremony or otherwise, with 
the Chamberlain presenting wine to the Emperor and 
Empress, who then pledged each other ; the cup bear- 
ers poured out the wine kneeling. When the Empress 
drank his health and while the grace was being said, 
the Emperor uncovered, but during the rest of the 
meal he kept his hat on. The apartments of the Im- 
perial pair were called respectively "the Emperor's 
side " and " the Empress's side,'' and there was a 
general feeling that life was a little less solemn and 
fatiguing on "the Empress's side." In the matter of 
entertainments, however, the Court, under the very 
transparent ruse of " incognito," would frequently in- 
dulge in quite riotous revelry. There were "ridottos," 
theatricals, " merendas," sleighing parties — when the 
gentlemen drew lots for the lady each was to drive and 
sit next to at supper, and, most popular of all, the 
" AVirthschaft " or " tavern." At this last the Em- 
peror and Empress took the parts of landlord and 
landlady. The guests appeared in fancy dress and 
masks, the gentlemen providing the ladies' costumes. 
The "merenda," also very popular, was a supper 
served at two o'clock, followed by dancing, which was 
kept up till well into the day. 

The complicated ceremonial of the Court rendered 
it necessary to have enormous retinues of persons con- 
stantly in attendance. At state dinners, for instance, 



236 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

each dish when it reached the Emperor had passed 
through the hands of twenty-four officials. As the 
Hofburg, large though it was even then, could not 
pretend to accommodate all this throng of people, 
there had been established by Ferdinand I. what was 
termed " Court-quarters" — that is, a regulation requir- 
ing every house-holder to let (for a very small sum) 
the whole of his second story for the use of the Court ; 
and this not only at Vienna, but at Saxenburg, or 
Gratz, or wherever the Court might happen to be. 
Joseph II. (1780-1790) abolished this very trying 
custom. 

Charles VI., when still quite young, had married the 
beautiful Elizabeth Christina, Princess of Brunswick 
Wolfembuttle. The only son born of this marriage 
died in infancy. Two daughters lived to grow up, the 
elder of whom became, on the death of her father, 
the Empress Maria Theresa. Towards the close of 
his life, Charles was repeatedly urged by his advisers 
and by the Empress to take steps to have his son-in- 
law Francis, Duke of Lorraine, recognized as King of 
the Romans. The reason he gave for refusing to act 
on this prudent advice was hardly calculated to soothe 
his wife's affectionate solicitude concerning her daugh- 
ter's future, for he declared that he thought the Em- 
press (to whom he is represented as having been 
"tenderly attached") much more likely to die first, and 
he therefore "entertained hopes of male issue by a 
future marriage." The historian goes on to say that. 



THE PRAGMATIC SANCTION. 237 

tt in consequence of this ill-judged policy, he endan- 
gered the loss of the Imperial crown, and exposed his 
successor to the greatest difficulties." The Emperor had, 
however, been most active and determined in getting 
the agreement of the Powers to the Pragmatic Sanc- 
tion, by which the Austrian throne was to be secured 
to the female succession according to the laws of primo- 
geniture. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Maria Theresa — Difficulties she had to Encounter — Modifies the 
Etiquette of the Court — Astonishes the Audience in the Burg 
Theatre— Jo^ph IL— The Eirst Emperor to Appear at an Audi- 
ence in Uniform — A Protectionist — Keep- Down the Price of 
Meat — Frederick the Great's Opinion of the Emperor — " Count 
Falkenstein" — His Travels and Adventures — Simplicity of his 
Habits — Intimacy with Catharine II. of Russia — Audiences in 
the Hof burg — His Disappointments — His Marriages — His Death. 

The close of Charles VI.'s reign marks an era in 
the history of his House. He was the sixteenth and 
last Austrian ruler of the direct male line of Habsburg, 
and cm his death the Imperial dignity passed, for the 
first time since the election, in 1438, of Albert II., 
out of his House. The realm, moreover, which he 
had found in a condition of great power and pros- 
perity, was at the moment of his death at its lowest 
ebb ot weakness and misfortune. 

Notwithstanding the Pragmatic Sanction. Maria 
Theresa found herself, on her accession, involved in 
most serious difficulties. Outwardly, indeed, all was 
peaceful enough : but it was well known that the 
Elector of Bavaria would lose no rime in presenting 
a claim to the Austrian throne ; that France was 
prepared to oppose the election of the Queen's hus- 

23S 



MARIA THERESA'S ACCESSION. 

band, Francis of Lorraine, to be Emperor ; and that 
among her own people, owing to the iailuie of the 
grape crop and a general scarcity of provisions, there 
was a smouldering ike of discontent* The beautiful 
-...:.-" : _ J _ ..v : i: ~ ver. - i - 

cessfully to weather not only these storms, but the 
many more severe ones that disturbed her long and 
brilliant reign. Under her the stiff Spanish etiquette 
of the Court was modiz L She was easy and acces- 
sible, devoted to gaiety of all kinds, and simple, 
aim st homely, in her ways. She was passionately 
fond of her handsome husband i who later became the 
Emperor Fi is I.), and for three years after his 
death she shut herself up and never appeared in 
places of public amusement. 

On the evening of the 12th of Febmary 3 " v 
however, news was brought to Vienn that 
Louisa, wife of the Empress's second son, Leopold, 
Grand Duke of T - given birth to a - . 

This event was of great importance — for, as Jos 
the Empress's eldest son, was - H meant 

nothing less than the birth of a male to the 

Austrian throne. This infant was, indeed, to reign 
later as the Emperor I - II. 

She received the news in the evening, whilst 
working in her cabin et With nt farther ad 
rushed out in her plain house dress, or rather neglegt 7 
ran through the ante-chamber, the outer rooms 
passages the theatre of the Hofbu _ lean- 



240 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

ing far over the balustrade of the Imperial box, 
called, with motherly triumph, down into the pit, in 
the broadest Vienna dialect, ' Poldel (Poldy, Leopold) 
has a boy; and just as a token of remembrance, on 
my wedding-day. Is not he gallant V The pit and the 
boxes were electrified." 1 

On the death of Francis I., his eldest son, Joseph, 
became Emperor; but he did not succeed to the 
Austrian inheritance until the death of his mother, 
Maria Theresa, which occurred fifteen years later. 
Under him the etiquette of the Court was still further 
modified. The " Reverence " was done away with. 
" Men," he declared, " should kneel only before God;'' 
while officials were permitted to wait upon their 
superiors in walking dress and boots. He was the 
first Emperor to appear in uniform on occasions of 
state. "My Lord Chamberlain," he observed, the 
first time that he did so, " will faint when he sees 
this." 

Under Joseph IL the industrial interests of Vienna 
and of the whole country received a tremendous 
impetus. He was a protectionist of the most ad- 
vanced type, and enforced his decrees against the 
purchase and sale of foreign goods by seizing and 
destroying outright all articles of that kind that were 
found in the possession of merchants or store-keep- 
ers. On one occasion the Viennese were treated to 
the sight of a huge pyre of watches, costly laces, 

1 Vehese's Austrian Courts. 



Monument of Empress Maria Theresa 



JOSEPH II.— A POPULAK RULER. 241 

silks, jewelry, cloth, etc., burning merrily in the open 
square. When all were destroyed, the ashes were 
thrown in the river. Private individuals were al- 
lowed to import foreign articles on payment of a 
sixty per cent. duty. 

Landed proprietors who remained more than six 
months of the year out of the country were obliged 
to pay double taxes. 

The master-butchers of Vienna tried in 1787 to 
have the price of meat raised, declaring that they 
could make no profits with the existing rates. The 
Emperor advised them, in that case, to go out of 
business, and allow the journeymen to take their 
places, as these men were more than willing to do, 
adding that if any butcher was found raising his 
prices, he would receive fifty lashes for each pound 
of meat sold. 

The Emperor insisted that no distinction should 
be made between the classes in respect of the admin- 
istration of the law. Viennese society was there- 
fore edified by such sights as a Count .Liechten- 
stein, who had committed forgery, sweeping the 
streets, wearing the brown dress of a convict, with 
cropped hair and in chains; while a lieutenant- 
colonel of the Guards, who was a defaulter, had to 
stand for three days running in the public pillory, 
and then go to the House of Correction. 

Joseph II. was the Austrian example of the popu- 
lar ruler, represented in France by Henry IV. and 
16 



242 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Napoleon, and in Prussia by Frederick II. " This 
young Prince/' wrote the King of Prussia in his 
Memoirs, "adopted a frank, open manner, that 
seemed natural to him. His disposition was gay and 
vivacious ; but with an ardent desire to know things, 
he lacked the patience to learn." 

Joseph was thirty-nine when his mother's death 
placed him at the head of affairs. He had taken 
advantage of the long period that intervened between 
his majority and his accession to travel in foreign 
countries, with a view to investigating such laws and 
customs as might be beneficial, if introduced into his 
own country. 

He traveled incognito, under the name of Count 
Falkenstein, and many and piquant are the stories 
which are told of his adventures. The hero of all 
these popular tales soon acquired an European repu- 
tation and was everywhere known and liked. 

In Paris he established himself in a small " hotel 
garni," and when he went out either walked or drove 
in a hired cab. One day he surprised Buffon in his 
dressing-gown. The savant tried to escape, so as to 
get into a coat. 

" No, no I" cried the visitor. " Stay as you are ; 
you look very well in that costume, and when a mas- 
ter receives a visit from one of his students, he should 
certainly not put himself out." 

While going through the Hotel Dieu he saw a sick 
man, and one who was dying, and a corpse, all in one 



JOSEPH II. TRAVELS INCOGNITO. 243 

bed. He at once left the building, declaring that such 
an institution was not a benefit to society. 

The librarian of the Library of Paris expressed his 
regret that the light was so poor that he could not see 
the collection of works on Theology." 

"Oh, my dear sir," said Joseph, " where there is 
theology, there is never much light !" 

When, in the course of his tour, he arrived at Wur- 
temberg, the Duke sent him word that his castle had 
been prepared for him ; but, true to his habits, Joseph 
replied that he preferred to put up at a hotel. The Duke 
thereupon ordered every hotel, inn and tavern in Wur- 
temberg to remove its sign, at the same time causing a 
huge board, bearing the arms of the Austrian House 
and the words " Hotel de l'Empereur Joseph II." to be 
displayed above the main entrance to the castle. Joseph 
could not but yield to such determined hospitality. 
At the castle gate he was received by the Duke, 
dressed in the costume of an innkeeper, while all the 
gentlemen of his court were attired like butlers, valets, 
waiters and so on. The ladies were dressed to look 
like maids — the kind one sees on the stage — with 
white caps, short skirts and lace kerchiefs and aprons. 

The royal guest at once fell in with the joke, and 
the play was kept up till the next day. AVhen the 
time came for him to leave, a carriage drew up in 
front of the gate, and, seated on one of the horses, he 
noticed a postillion, whose muddy boots and frayed 
waistcoat attracted his attention. 



244 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

" That fellow is no flatterer, at all events," said he, 
as he got inside. " I suspect he is a tippler, but we'll 
give him a good fee all the same." 

The shabby postillion drove, however, with a 
rapidity and skill that was simply amazing. 

"If you would like to enter my service," said 
Joseph, when they reached the first relay, " I will 
engage you at once." 

" I am sorry, sire," replied the postillion ; " but I 
am so situated that I cannot leave my own country." 

" And why is that ? " asked the Emperor. 

"Parbleu !" cried the man, with a shout of laugh- 
ter; "because I am engaged to drive the car of 
State." And he pulled off his cap, to which a wig was 
attached. 

" The Prince of "Wurtemberg ! " exclaimed Joseph, 
much amused. 

"The same, at your service," replied the Duke, 
with a low bow. 

" You played your part exceedingly well," said the 
Emperor ; " only, had I thought a little, I would have 
seen through it, for I noticed you never once swore." 

While visiting Moravia, Joseph, in order to show 
his respect for the dignity of agriculture, publicly, 
with his own hand, opened a furrow in a grain field, 
on the estate of Prince Liechtenstein. The plow 
used by him on this occasion was wrapped in silk and 
placed in the hall of the Moravian estates. 

On the Hungarian frontier it is said that Joseph 



JOSEPH II. AND THE KIXG OF PRUSSIA. 245 

was met one day by a peasant, who ran up to him, 
crying out : 

" Most merciful Emperor ! we have four days of 
statute-labor ; on the fifth day we are obliged to go 
fishing with the Seigneur; on the sixth we have to 
hunt with him ; the seventh day belongs to God. Most 
merciful Emperor, how can we pay our taxes and 
dues?" 

" How, indeed ? " said the Emperor, thoughtfully. 

And although it was not until the death of Maria 
Theresa, fourteen years later, that he was free to do 
anything for the serfs, he never forgot them, and in 
1785, five years after his accession, he abolished serf- 
dom in Hungary and obliged the nobility to pay their 
proportion of the taxes. 

In September, 1774, a meeting was arranged to take 
place at Xeustadt between Joseph and the King of 
Prussia, and preparations were made for a great mili- 
tary review. Suddenly, however, the sky, which had 
been brilliantly clear, became overcast; peals of 
thunder were heard, and the rain fell in such torrents 
that the review had to be abandoned. As the two 
sovereigns, completely drenched, were hastening to 
get under shelter, Frederick was heard to observe, 
" After all, we have to acknowledge that there is one 
ruler still more powerful than ourselves." 

The simplicity of Joseph's establishment offered a 
violent contrast to that of his grandfather, Charles 
VI. Two o'clock was his dinner hour, but the 



246 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Emperor's conscientious devotion to duty was such 
that it was sometimes five o'clock before he would 
allow himself to stop working. The meal, in the 
meanwhile, was kept warm on a stove. Being a 
widower and childless, the Emperor usually dined 
alone, waited upon by a solitary servant, with whom 
he conversed all the time. Dinner lasted about half 
an hour. Like all the Habsburgs, Joseph was ex- 
ceedingly fond of music, and himself played on the 
violoncello and piano. He once asked Mozart's 
opinion of a sonata which he had written. Mozart 
made the very courtier-like reply that " the sonata 
was very good in its way, but that he who had written 
it was better ;" but he handed it back, with some cor- 
rections. 

The Emperor would never have a mattress on his 
bed until about a year before his death, when the doc- 
tors advised it. Before that he slept upon a bag 
filled with straw, and covered with a stag's hide and a 
linen sheet; for a pillow he had a leather cushion, 
filled with horse-hair. He always shaved himself, 
until he was too ill to do so any longer. Once, when 
journeying to Paris, he arrived at Rheims ahead of 
his suite. The landlord of the inn, finding him alone 
and engaged in shaving, asked if he were one of the 
Emperor's people, and what position he held. " I 
sometimes shave him," answered Joseph. 

AVhen in Vienna he occupied a suite of three 
rooms on the first floor of the Hofburg. and in the 



AUDIENCES IN THE HOFBUEG. 247 

same wing as the Rittersaal. His windows overlooked 
the Bastei, which were at that time the Boulevards of 
Vienna. In his bedchamber there hung a portrait of 
Catharine II. of Russia, presented to him by the 
Empress herself. Joseph had been dispatched by 
his mother to Poland, in 1780, to meet Catharine, 
and to win, if possible, the Russian interests from 
Prussia to Austria. He succeeded so entirely that, 
from the time of his visit, Frederick the Second's 
influence in Russia waned, while Catharine and 
Joseph for years kept up a lively and intimate cor- 
respondence. 

The third room of the Emperor's suite was his pri- 
vate study. It was provided with a mechanical ar- 
rangement, by which papers could be sent up from 
the Chancellerie, situated directly beneath it. Here 
the Emperor worked throughout the entire morning, 
usually beginning at about six or seven o'clock. On 
the days when he crave audiences, the " Controlorffanff" 
or passageway leading to his cabinet, was thronged 
with persons of all classes and conditions. From time 
to time the Emperor appeared at the door, took the 
petitions from some and showed in others who wished 
for personal interviews. The reason he gave for per- 
forming this office himself was that he wished to have 
as few barriers as possible between himself and his 
people, and he insisted on having those persons with 
whom he had made appointments shown in at once, as 
he said he had spent too many weary hours himself 



248 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

waiting in his father's ante-chamber, not to know how 
tiresome it was. 

Joseph died on the 20th of February, 1790, at the 
age of fifty-nine. His end was very sad. All through 
his active life he had labored conscientiously for the 
welfare of his country and his people, as he under- 
stood it ; and yet he lived to see all his work undone. 
The capture of the Bastile (July 14, 1789) had been 
the signal for an insurrection in the Netherlands. 
News reached Vienna of first one disaster and then 
another. At last, when it became known that Brus- 
sels was in the hands of the Patriots, the Emperor, 
whose health had been failing for some time, became 
extremely melancholy. "When the Prince de Ligne, a 
Belgian, visited him in February (1790), the Emperor 
said to him : 

" Your country has killed me ; the taking of Ghent 
is my agony — the evacuation of Brussels is my death." 

But even more bitter to the dying Emperor was the 
course which he was obliged to follow in Hungary. 
Here his policy of centralization had met with violent 
opposition, and his reforms with scarcely less hostility. 
Buoyed up by the example of the people of the Neth- 
erlands, as well as by the general spirit of revolution 
that was abroad, the Hungarians now sent in a list of 
grievances, and threatened to resort to " the insurrec- 
tion" if they were not immediately redressed. So 
Joseph, ill and broken-spirited, issued, only about 
three weeks before his death, a decree revoking 



JOSEPH II.'S DISAPPOINTMENTS. 249 

almost all the reforms he had introduced into Hun- 
gary, and at the same time sent back the Crown of 
St. Stephen, with which the Austrian rulers were 
crowned as Kings of Hungary, and which he had 
caused secretly to be removed to Vienna. Joseph 
was also obliged to yield to demands made at this 
time by the Tyrolese, and in his last hours to undo, 
in that country as well, the careful labor of years. 

But more pathetic far than any of these public 
griefs were the sorrows and disappointments of the 
Emperor's private life. He had married, when only 
nineteen (1760), the young daughter of Philip, Duke 
of Parma. He was passionately in love with his 
wife, who — whether because, as is sometimes alleged, 
of a previous attachment, or whether solely on ac- 
count of a constitutional melancholy — never returned 
his affection. As she was gentle and reserved, Joseph 
remained unconscious of this, and during the three 
years of their married life was happy, tender and 
devoted. Then the gentle young Princess, barely yet 
twenty years of age, was taken ill with small-pox. 
Her husband, beside himself with anxiety, would not 
leave her bedside, and when at last she died, he had 
to be removed by force. 

Passionate as was his sorrow, it would doubtless 
have worn itself out in time, and have left no sting 
behind, had not his sister Christina (she who married 
Albert, Duke of Saxe-Teschen, and whose monument 
by Canova in the Augustiner Kirche has been de- 



250 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

scribed) tactlessly endeavored to arouse him by telling 
him that his wife had confided to her that she did not 
really love him, and only assumed an affectionate de- 
meanor from a sense of duty. 

The iron that entered into Joseph's soul at this 
shattering of his dream left hira hard and bitter, and 
the Bavarian Princess Josepha, whom, solely to please 
his family, he married two years later, much against 
his own inclinations, had to suffer for it. 

This unfortunate lady, who was plain, nervous and 
unattractive, capped her other shortcomings by fall- 
ing violently in love with her husband. The Imperial 
family, after insisting on the marriage, now rather 
meanly deserted the bride, and she was treated on all 
sides with unkindness and neglect. Joseph simply 
could not endure her, his dislike being increased by 
her nervous adoration. The only person who seemed 
to feel the least sympathy or kindliness for her was 
her father-in-law. the Emperor Francis. 

"Oh, wretched me!" she exclaimed, bursting into 
tears, when, about six months after her marriage, the 
news of the Emperor's death was received, " I have 
lost my only friend !* 

Fortunately for the poor young thing, the same 
dreadful malady that had carried off her predecessor 
seized upon her. and she died in 1767. after but two 
years of married life. 

After these unfortunate experiences, Joseph, though 
still only twentv-six years old, could never again be 



Josefs Platz and Statue of Emperor Joseph II 



JOSEPH lL'S DEATH. 251 

induced to try matrimony. The two little girls born 
to him by his first wife died in infancy, and there 
were no children by his second marriage. In his 
latter years therefore the Emperor lavished all the 
devotion of a naturally affectionate nature upon Eliza- 
beth of \Vurteniberg, the wife of his nephew — and 
successor, Francis. Elizabeth returned this affection 
very heartily, and, herself in precarious health at the 
time, w r as deeply distressed when she realized that the 
Emperor's death was inevitable. There was a painful 
interview, from which the Princess was carried in a 
swooning condition, and three days later she died. 

This news was received by the dying Emperor with 
an agony of grief. He ordered that the Princess 
should lie in state in the Hofburg Chapel, but not for 
long. " She must be removed to make room for my 
own corpse/' Two days later he died, his last words, 
murmured as if to himself a few moments before his 
death, being, " I believe I have done my duty as a 
man and as a Prince ;" and he asked that on his 
tomb should be carved the words, " Here rests a 
Prince whose intentions were pure; but who was so 
unfortunate as to see all his plans miscarry ." 

The Prince de Ligne beautifully summed up his 
career in the lines — 



" II entreprit beaucoup, et commandant ton jours 
Ne put rien achever, excepte ses beaux jours." 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Leopold II. — Policy of his Government — His Short Reign and 
Sudden Death — Francis II. — His Disinclination for Work — 
Louis XVI. Declares War with Austria — Wonderful Changes 
in the World's History — The French Wars — Peace of Lune- 
ville — Napoleon Proclaimed Emperor — Francis Assumes Title 
of Emperor of Austria — Alliance Against France — Napoleon 
in Vienna — Austerlitz — The Peace of Pressburg — Metternich on 
the Condition of Austria — The Hhehibund — Abdication of the 
Emperor Francis — End of the German or Holy Roman Empire 
— War Again — The Defeat of Eckmiihl — Archduke Charles — 
Napoleon Back in Vienna — The Peace of Vienna — Humiliations 
for Austria — Napoleon's Marriage with the Archduchess Maria 
Louisa — Josephine Helps to Bring it About — Interview Be- 
tween Josephine and Princess Metternich — Lofty Tone Assumed 
by the Emperor Francis and Metternich — The Previous Pielig- 
ious Ceremony Ignored — Birth of the King of Rome — Over- 
throw of Napoleon — The Congress of Vienna — The Prince de 
Ligne — Gaieties During the Congress — Metternich's View of its 
Labors — Frederick von Gentz's Account — News of Napoleon's 
Escape from Elba — Action of the Powers — Waterloo — Death 
of the Emperor Francis — Popular Misconceptions of his Char- 
acter — The Emperor Ferdinand— His Weak Nature — Metter- 
nich More Powerful than Ever — His Absolutism — Revolution 
of 1S4S — Meetings in the Hof burg— Archduke Ludwig— Arch- 
duchess Sophie — "I'll Have No Shooting" — Deputations to the 
Hof burg — Metternich muss Abdankoi — The Emperor Grants a 
Constitution — More Troubles — The Constitution a Failure — 
Revolution — Murder of Count Latour — The Emperor Abdicates. 

The Emperor Joseph II. was succeeded by his 
252 



LEOPOLD IL'S SHOET EEIGX— FRANCIS II. 253 

brother, Leopold II., Duke of Tuscany, the " Polclel " 
of his mother, Maria Theresa. 

In his short reign of barely two years he was fur- 
ther obliged to recall many of Joseph's measures ; so 
that at his death, which occurred quite suddenly in 
March, 1792, the country was very nearly in the state 
in which Maria Theresa had left it. 

Leopold's son, Francis, was now called upon to 
mount the throne ; but, to the embarrassment of those 
about him, he at first flatly refused to do anything 
demanding so much trouble and hard work. 

This Prince had been summoned to Vienna during 
the lifetime of his uncle, the Emperor Joseph, in 
order that he, as heir presumptive to the throne, 
might receive some training to fit him for the posi- 
tion he would one day be called upon to fill ; but the 
spectacle of Joseph's upright and fearless discharge of 
his duties, and his close application to his work, only 
served to disgust the youth with the profession of an 
Emperor. To his dying day Francis had a hearty 
dislike of anything that required close application, 
and would procrastinate eternally in the transaction 
of ordinary business. % 

After two days' argument, however, his confessor 
succeeded in overcoming his reluctance to assume his 
new position by telling him that all he need do would 
be to appoint a Cabinet and then leave everything to 
his Ministers. Within two months of his accession, 
Louis XVI., husband of Francis's great-aunt, Marie 



254 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Antoinette, egged on by his advisers, proposed to the 
National Assembly that war should be declared against 
the King of Hungary and Bohemia. This was in 
April. In July Francis was crowned as Emperor. 
In the following winter the King and Queen of 
France were guillotined. 

Francis's long reign of forty-three years saw marvel- 
ous changes effected in the conditions of the world at 
large, and his own dominions in particular. For 
twenty-three years of this reign Austria was engaged 
in a succession of wars with France. The first of 
these terminated in 1797, with the Peace of Campo 
Fornio, the second with the Peace of Luneville, signed 
in 1801. In 1804 Xapoleon was proclaimed Emperor, 
and in the same year Francis, who foresaw that the title 
of Roman Emperor, now held for so long by members 
of his family, might one day become extinct, assumed 
that of Emperor of Austria for himself and for his 
successors. In 1805 war again broke out, an alliance 
having been formed between Russia, England, Austria 
and Sweden against France. By November of that 
year, however, Xapoleon was in Vienna, and on the 
2d of December he won the decisive battle of Aus- 
terlitz. The Peace of Pressburg, which followed, im- 
posed upon Austria the most humiliating and disastrous 
conditions. Metternich, writing of it two years later, 
says, "The Austrian monarchy, sapped in its founda- 
tions, only figured in the balance of Powers as an inert 
mass in opposition to France. Her military state dis- 



CHANGES IN THE WORLD'S HISTORY. 255 

organized, without confidence in herself, deprived of a 
great quantity of material resources, she awaited a new 
creation. Victorious France covered nearly the whole 
of the ancient Empire of Germany with armies intox- 
icated with a success as rapid as it was easily bought.'' 

The German Empire was in fact no more. In July, 
1806, a treaty was signed at Paris — the Rheinbund, or 
Act of Confederation of the Rhine. Sixteen sovereign 
houses separated from the Empire and accepted the 
"protection" of the Emperor of France. A few weeks 
later Xapoleon, through his Envoy at the Diet at Pe- 
gensburg, declared that he no longer recognized the 
existence of the Empire, and within the week the Em- 
peror Francis abdicated. 

"Of those who in August, 1806, read in the Eng- 
lish newspapers that the Emperor Francis II. had 
announced to the Diet his resignation of the Imperial 
Crown, there were probably few who reflected that the 
oldest political institution in the world had come to an 
end. Yet it was so. The Empire, which a note 
issued by a diplomatist on the banks of the Danube 
extinguished, was the same which the crafty nephew 
of Julius had won for himself, against the Powers 
of the East, beneath the cliffs of Actium ; and which 
had preserved almost unaltered, through eighteen 
centuries of time, and through the greatest changes 
in extent, in power, in character, a title and preten- 
sions from which all meaning had long since departed. 
. . . Strictly speaking, it is from the year 800 A.D., 



256 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

when a King of the Franks was crowned Emperor 
of the Romans by Pope Leo III., that the begin- 
ning of the Holy Roman Empire must be dated. 
But in history there is nothing isolated, and .... 
among the institutions of the Middle Ages there is 
scarcely one which can be understood until it is 
traced up either to classical or to primitive Teutonic 
antiquity." 1 

" His deed [Francis's] states that finding it impos- 
sible, in the altered state of things, to fulfill the obliga- 
tions imposed by his capitulation, he considers as dis- 
solved the bonds which attached him to the Germanic 
body, releases from their allegiauce the States who 
formed it, and retires to the government of his heredi- 
tary dominions under the title of Emperor of Austria. 
Throughout, the term ' German Empire ' (Deutsches 
Reich) is employed. But it was the crown of Augus- 
tus, of Constantine, of Charles, of Maximilian, that 
Francis of Habsburg laid down, and a new era in the 
world's history was marked by the fall of its most 
venerable institution. One thousand and six years 
after Leo, the Pope, had crowned the Frankish King, 
eighteen hundred and fifty-eight years after Caesar 
had conquered at Pharsalia, the Holy Roman Empire 
came to its end. 

" There was a time when this event would have been 
thought a sign that the last days of the world were 
at hand. But in the whirl of change that had be- 
1 Introduction to The Holy Boman Empire. James Bryee. 



HUMILIATIONS FOR AUSTRIA. 957 

wildered men since a.d. 1789, it passed almost un- 
noticed." l 

The Peace of Pressburg was soon broken by both 
Prussia and Russia, while Austria only remained in- 
active in order to reorganize her army and collect her 
resources. Iu the spring of 1809, these preparations 
being completed, hostilities broke out in Bavaria. The 
campaign was unsuccessful ; the Austrians, after re- 
peated defeats, were obliged to withdraw. 

" What will they say of us at Vienna ? " asked the 
Commander, Archduke Charles, miserably, as he and 
General Lindenau were escaping from the battle-field 
of Eckmiihl. 

" Why, that your Imperial Highness lias been a 
young fool, and I an old ass," growled the General. 

Early in May Xapoleon once more had his head- 
quarters at SchSnbrunn, and was in possession of 
Vienna. On the 21st-22d of that month Archduke 
Charles won a brilliant victory over Xapoleon at 
Aspern, near Vienna ; but in July the Austrians were 
again defeated at TTagram. The campaign closed in 
October witli the Peace of Vienna, by which Austria 
was deprived of thirty-two thousand srpiare miles of 
territory, three and a half million- of her people, and 
all her seaports. Before withdrawing, the French, as 
a final demonstration, blew up the fortifications of 
Vienna. 

Xapoleon was now desirous of strengthening his 

1 The Hohj Roman Empire. James Bryce. 
17 



258 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

position by an influential alliance, and he was also 
extremely anxious for an heir. Of what avail was it 
to be, as he announced himself, the successor of Char- 
lemagne, 1 if he himself had no successor? Several 
years before Talleyrand and Fouche had concocted a 
scheme for inducing the Emperor to contract a fresh 
marriage. Their plan was to force Josephine herself 
to take the initiative and ask for a separation ; but 
Metternich says she baffled all their calculations and 
manoeuvres, and consequently the plot failed. Towards 
the close of 1809, however, it was well understood 
that Napoleon had made up his mind to a divorce, and 
Metternich was actively negotiating to have the Arch- 
duchess Maria Louisa chosen for Josephine's successor. 
In these negotiations it is curious to find Josephine 
and her son, Prince Eugene, taking an active part. 
The Princess Metternich, writing to her husband 
from Paris, in January, 1810, describes an interview 
at Malmaison, in which the Empress had said to her, 
" I have a plan which occupies me entirely, the suc- 
cess of which alone could make me hope that the sac- 
rifice I am about to make will not be a pure loss. It 
is that the Emperor should marry your Archduchess. 
I spoke to him of it yesterday, and he said his choice 
was not yet fixed. . . ." Throughout the negotia- 
tions Metternich insisted upon the high motives that 
were swaying himself and his master. In his instruc- 

1 He is quoted on one occasion as sayiug, " Je nai pas succede a 
Louis Quatorze mais a Charlemagne." 



NAPOLEON'S MARKIAGE TO MARIA LOUISA. 259 

tions to the Austrian Minister at Paris, he reminds him 
that "his Majesty will never force a beloved daugh- 
ter to a marriage which she abhors, and he will never 
consent to a marriage which would not be in con- 
formity with the principles of our religion." The 
stumbling block of the divorce was gotten over by 
airily ignoring the private religious ceremony per- 
formed between Xapoleon and Josephine in the Tuil- 
eries, prior to their coronation, and by thus regarding 
their marriage as purely a civil contract, with which 
the Church had no concern. In March, 1810, the 
marriage with the Archduchess was celebrated by 
proxy at Vienna. The bride went immediately to 
Paris. A year later a son was born, to whom was 
given the title of King of Rome. 

These happy events had, however, not the smallest 
weight in securing for Xapoleon the support of Aus- 
tria after the unsuccessful Russian campaign of 1812. 
The fact of his being the husband of "a beloved 
daughter" did not make the Emperor Francis desire 
Napoleon's overthrow one whit the less, and w T hen at 
last the tide of fortune turned and the European 
Powers saw their opportunity to crush the man who 
had for so long dominated them, Austria eagerly 
joined the Allies. 

In March, 1814, the victorious Allies entered Paris, 
only the Emperor Francis, out of "consideration for 
his daughter," lingered on the road and arrived, with 
a small party, two weeks later. Vienna is described 



260 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

as being, on the receipt of this news, "giddy with 
delight," and the event was celebrated with magnifi- 
cent fetes and illuminations. 

In the fall the Great Congress of Vienna was con- 
vened. Crowned heads and Grand Dukes, potentates, 
Princes and Palatines, Emperors and Electors, to- 
gether with a host of minor dignitaries, poured into 
Vienna, with their ladies and their suites. And all the 
members of this great throng were the guests of the 
Emperor Francis. As many as could be accommo- 
dated were given apartments in the Hofburg; the 
others were quartered about in the town. 

Among the many people who, without having any 
official business there, were attracted to Vienna by all 
the brilliant doings, was a certain voung Comte de la 
Garde-Chambonas, who has left a volume of sprightly 
Souvenirs of the Congress. Immediately on his ar- 
rival he waited upon the Prince de Ligne. 

"'You have come just at the right moment,' cries 
the veteran, mockingly. c All Europe is here ; and if 
you are fond of fetes and balls, you will have enough 
of them, I promise you, for dancing is the chief busi- 
ness of this Congress.' 

"Such complicated and important interests were 
certainly never before discussed amidst so much fes- 
tivity and dissipation. A kingdom was dismembered 
or ao-orandized at a ball ; an indemnity granted at a 
dinner; a restitution proposed during a hunt, and a 
bon-mot or a happy observation sometimes cemented 



THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA. 261 

a treaty, which otherwise might have lingered through 
tedious discussion and correspondence." 

Metternich' s view of the character of the Congress, 
of which he was the presiding genius, was quite dif- 
ferent. He took exception to the mot of the Prince 
de Ligne, that " Le Congres danse mais ne marche 
pas." 

" The Congress opened," says Metternich, " on 
November 3, 1814, with an unpretending conference, 
not at all corresponding to the expectations of a pub- 
lic greedy for a spectacle. . . . During the Congress 
a number of crowned heads, with numerous retinues, 
and a crowd of tourists, assembled within the walls 
of Vienna. To provide social recreation for them 
was one of the duties of the Imperial Court ; that 
these festivities had no connection with the labors of 
the Congress, and did not interfere with them, is 
proved by the short duration of the Congress, which 
accomplished its work in five months." 

Frederick von Gentz, the close friend, supporter 
and confidant of Metternich, tells us that " The grand 
phrases, ' reconstruction of social order,' 'regenera- 
tion of the political system of Europe/ i a lasting 
peace, founded on a just division of strength/ etc., 
etc., were uttered to tranquilize the people and to give 
an air of dignity and grandeur to this solemn assem- 
bly ; but the real purpose of the Congress was to 
divide amongst the conquerors the spoils taken from 
the vanquished." 



262 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

As a fact, the greed, mutual jealousy and conflicting 
claims of the Powers represented were such that the 
five months were spent principally in wrangling, and 
it is more than likely that the Congress would have 
brokeD up in discord and a general war have resulted, 
had not a common danger, which suddenly involved 
them all, driven them to seek one another's support. 

" A conference between the Plenipotentiaries of the 
five Powers," writes Metternich, " took place in my 
house on the night of March 6th, and lasted till three 
o'clock in the morning. Since the Cabinets had met 
in Vienna, I had given my servants orders that if a 
courier arrived at night lie was not to awaken me. In 
spite of this order a servant brought me, at six o'clock 
in the morning, a dispatch sent by courier and marked 
urgent. AVhen I saw on the envelope the words, 
' From the Consul-General at Genoa/ having been 
only two hours in bed, I laid the dispatch, unopened, 
on the nearest table and turned round again to sleep. 
Once disturbed, however, sleep would not come back. 
About half-past seven I resolved to open the dispatch. 
It contained the information in six lines : 

"'The English Commissary, Campbell, has just 
appeared in the harbor to inquire whether Napoleon 
has been seen in Genoa, as he has disappeared from 
the Island of Elba. This question being answered in 
the negative, the English ship has again put out to 
sea.' 

" I was dressed in a few minutes, and before eight 



ESCAPE OF NAPOLEON FROM ELBA. 263 

o'clock I was with the Emperor. He read the dis- 
patch and said to me, quietly and calmly, as always on 
great occasions, i Napoleon apparently wishes to play 
the part of an adventurer. That is his concern ; ours 
is to secure to the world that peace which he has dis- 
turbed for years. Go without delay to the Emperor 
of Russia and the King of Prussia, 1 and tell them that 
I am ready to order my army to march back to France. 
I do not doubt but that both monarchs will agree 
with me/ " 

There is something almost ludicrous in the dismay 
and alarm of the assembled Potentates who had just 
been ruffling it so grandly, when they learned of the 
escape of the one man whom they all feared. The 
news was made public when a brilliant company had 
assembled in the Hofburg to witness some tableaux 
vivants. It came like a thunderbolt, and was heard 
with general consternation. Metternich, cool, col- 
lected, and in his element, took the lead. The 
Powers agreed to sink their differences, Napoleon 
was proclaimed an outlaw, and each country prepared" 
for war. The battle of Waterloo (June 18, 1815) de- 
cided Napoleon's fate forever, and the partition of 
Europe, hastily concluded during the last weeks of 
the Congress, was carried out. 

In 1835 the Emperor Francis died. 

" Good Father Francis," " The People's Emperor," 

1 These two Powers were on the eve of allying themselves against 
Austria, France and England. 



264 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

left behind him a cheaply-gained reputation for a 
kindly ; amiable father of his people, one who took a 
good-natured interest in all their little affairs. As a 
fact, his was a thoroughly cold, impassive and calcu- 
lating nature. Metternich was execrated and Francis 
was beloved, yet the Minister had a genuine dislike of 
bloodshed, while his master regarded it with com- 
plete indifference 

" The people ! " said he, on one occasion. " I know 
nothing of the people. I know only of subjects/' 

One way in which he gained his popularity was by 
frequently pardoning persons convicted of murder, for- 
gery, and such crimes, but towards political offenders 
he was unrelenting. " With respect to granting par- 
dons," said he, of this class of persons, " I am a very 
bad Christian. It goes against the grain with me. 
Metternich is much more merciful." 

But because he would sometimes advise the Viennese 
about their domestic affairs and discuss with them the 
marriages of their sons and daughters, they could not 
sufficiently extol his kind heart. A contemporary 
observer wrote that the Emperor would listen to cases 
of peculiar hardship and suffering that were laid 
before him " with a cold, so to speak, petrified coun- 
tenance, and answer, ' Well, well, we'll see about it/ 
Yet he never does anything." 

Mrs. Trollope, in her Vienna and the Austrians, 
is reduced to almost an hysterical condition when con- 
templating the character of " this great and good 



THE EMPEROR FERDINAND. 265 

man." He had been dead but two years when she 
visited Vienna, and she heard many anecdotes of him 
which she enthusiastically repeats — his exquisite con- 
descension, in telling the Princess Metternich that he 
" could not do without her husband -" which, indeed, 
was strictly true, for it was Metternich who governed j 1 
the affection he displayed towards his unfortunate 
grandson, the Duke of Reich stadt, whose father's in- 
veterate enemy he had been ; his amiable way of say- 
ing to the toAvnspeople who came to his audiences, 
" Well, my children, . . . w T hat is there I can do for 
you ? " and many other details of the same conde- 
scending, but unconvincing character. 

The Emperor Francis was succeeded by his son Fer- 
dinand, who reigned for thirteen years and abdicated 
after the revolution of 1848. 

Ferdinand's coronation in his Italian dominions took 
place in 1838. It was marked by a general pardon 
for all political offenders — a concession which Metter- 
nich had for years labored in vain to wring from 
"Good Father Francis." Metternich, indeed, was now 
more absolute than ever. The new Emperor was 
feeble, both intellectually and physically, and was, 
moreover, so poorly educated that he was unfit to 
govern. To the veteran Minister, therefore, was con- 
fided the conduct of affairs. 

While the world was progressing towards more 

1 Metternich wrote of the Emperor, " Heaven has placed me near 
a man who seems as if he had been made for me." 



266 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

liberal forms of government, however, Metternieh's 
principles of absolutism became, with advancing years, 
more deeply rooted than ever. In Galicia riots broke 
out ; in Italy hatred of the Austrian rule manifested 
itself in ever-recurring disturbances ; and in Hungary 
Kossuth had arisen to weld together the elements of 
the opposition, and to give vigorous life to the national 
discontent. From Denmark, from Prussia, from Sax- 
ony, Bavaria and A\ iirtemberg, tidings came of decrees 
wrung from unwilling rulers; of reforms, of liberal 
demands ; and everywhere was heard the hated word 
" Constitution " — a word so abhorrent to the ears of the 
Emperor Francis that he forbade his physician to use 
it even in referring to his state of health. And all 
the time Metternich trimmed and temporized, confi- 
dent in his own power to stem the curreut, and refus- 
ing to recognize that the hour for concessions had 
sounded. Then came the news of the revolution 
of 1848 in Paris, and on the 29th of February word 
was received in Vienna of the flight of Louis Philippe. 

Many and anxious were the conclaves held in the 
Hof burg to devise means for repressing the revolution 
that was now ready to break out at any moment in 
Vienna. Placards appeared demanding the resigna- 
tion of Metternich. The Princess Metternich tells 
of a series of anonymous letters received by her hus- 
band, filled with threats and calling upon him to resign. 

" There was a strange scene in the Hof burs' one 
March day in that maddest of all mad years, '48. The 



SCENE IN THE HOFBUKG, MAKGH, 1848. 267 

Habsburgs were assembled, Archdukes and Archduch- 
esses without end, in the Emperor Ferdinand's private 
apartment. . . . The poor old Emperor, 1 with his 
weak, kindly ways, and his head that was always on 
the shake, was present at this family conclave, with 
the Empress at his side, almost as weak and almost as 
kindly as himself. Opposite him sat his brother, the 
Archduke Ludwig, who was more hated in Austria 
than all the other Habsburgs put together. . . . He 
was virtually the regent of the Emperor, he and Prince 
Metternich dividing all power between them. 2 His 
elder brother, Archduke Franz Carl, was also at the 
council, but only as a matter of form ; for, although 
heir to the Crown — the Emperor was childless — he was 
a personage of no importance. Both Prince Ludwig 
and Metternich were known to entertain for him the 
most unmitigated contempt. . . . But their scorn of 
him was as nothing to their hatred of his wife, the 
Archduchess Sophie, ' the only man in the family,' as 
Count Beust used to call her. . . . For she was a 
clever, clear-sighted, keen-witte] woman, who had no 
patience with their antediluvian ways, and cared not 

1 Ferdinand was but fifty-five, but his poor health and feeble mind 
made him seem like an old man. 

2 Metternich says in his Memoirs that the Emperor Francis's la^t 
illness was so brief that he had only time to dictate, a few hours 
before his death, an "exhortation " to his successor, advising him in 
every emergency to consult his uncle, the Archduke Ludwig, and 
Metternich. And the Minister adds that Ferdinand evincing no 
desire to conduct the Government, three men were selected for this 
duty, the Archduke Ludwig, Count Kolowrat and himself. 



268 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

one whit for family traditions. . . . Better grant fifty 
Constitutions, she told her relatives roundly, than lose 
a crown. Whereupon glances of unconcealed mistrust 
were exchanged, and a whisper of ' Philippe Egalite ' 
went round. 

" The Archduke John alone, he who was the Empe- 
ror's uncle, took up his stand by her side and declared 
stoutly that she was in the right ; if the Austrian Grown 
were to be sayed, concessions must be made and at 
once. The Archduke John was known in those days 
as the ' White Raven,' because he was a Habsbnrg 
democrat. He had married the daughter of an inn- 
keeper, and had forced the world, practically at the 
point of the sword, to treat her with the honor due to 
his wife. It was he and the Princess Sophie against 
the whole Habsburg clan that day. . . . They two 
strove with heart and soul to awaken any glimmering 
of common sense their relatives might have. . . . They 
argued and pleaded, threatened and entreated; but for 
any good they did they might just as well have been 
fast asleep in their beds. Prince Metternich listened 
to them with a gentle, deprecating smile, shaking his 
head sorrowfully from time to time, as if to say. How 
can Habsburgs be so misguided? As for Archduke 
Ludwig, he told them bluntly they were renegades. 
'As things are, so they must remain," he declared, and 
f as things are, so they must remain,' was caught up on 
all sides. 

il At length the Archduchess appealed to the Em- 



SCENE IN THE HOFBUEG, MARCH, 1848. 269 

peror, beseeching him to think of her boy, and for his 
sake to yield to the popular demands. Then for a 
moment there was keen anxiety even on Metternich's 
well-trained face, for the old man was evidently 
touched by what she said. . . . But Prince Lud- 
wig sprang to his feet, and in a voice of thunder bade 
him think of his dead brother, the Emperor Franz of 
ever blessed memory. ' The Emperor Franz, when on 
his death-bed,' he said, 'had summoned him and made 
him swear never to allow the Austrian Crown to be 
despoiled of one jot or tittle of its prerogative. . . .' 
The old Emperor cowed before him in fear as he spoke, 
and the Archduchess gave up the struggle in despair. 
She rushed from the room, crying as she went, ' Man 
will also meinem Sohn das Schiksal des Herzogs von Bor- 
deaux bereiten ! ' (They are determined to bring the 
Duke of Bordeaux's fate upon my son as well.) . . . 
Before many minutes had passed it was decided that, 
come what would in Vienna, there should be none of 
that weak yielding to the populace that was going on. 
elsewhere. . . . 

" Just when this point was settled, a curious little 
episode occurred. The Emperor suddenly raised his 
head, and looking first at Ludwig and then at Metter- 
nich, remarked sharply, ' Ich lass 1 nit schiessen ' (I'll 
have no shooting). The company glanced at one 
another in amazement, for he spoke as he had never 
spoken before. . . . ' Do as you like,' he continued, in 
reply to some remonstrance ; ' manage affairs in your 



270 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

own way, only, now remember, I'll have bo shoot- 
ing.' 

u "When the Viennese heard his words they dubbed 
him, ' I'll-have-no-shooting Ferdinand/ and from that 
day, whenever he appeared among them, they cheered 
him, poor, feeble-brained creature though he were, as 
no Habsburg had ever been cheered before/' ' 

For days after this the Hofburg was besieged with 
deputations. Every club, association and society in 
Austria was petitioning the Emperor for something, 
and a very pretty game was kept up by Archduke 
Ludwig, who attempted to frustrate them, on the one 
hand and Princess Sophie, who tried — and usually suc- 
ceeded, to get them the Emperor's ear, on the other. 
All the time the hatred and mistrust of Metternich 
was gaining in depth and force until one day the Presi- 
dent of the Landtag came, at the head of some thou- 
sands of the citizens, to demand the Minister's dismis- 
sal. While he was endeavoring to gain admittance to the 
Hofburg, a scuffle occurred in the streets between the 
people and the soldiers ; a shot was fired, and instantly 
matters assumed a serious aspect. 

Barricades were thrown up in the streets, and the 
populace poured out of the houses, ready to take part 
in the struggle. The Imperial party at first tailed to 
realize the gravity of the situation, and it was not 
until word was brought that one regiment had frater- 
nized with the people, another had refused point 
1 In Vienna in the Mad Ye.r\ '48. Edith Sellers. 



METTERNICH RESIGNS HIS OFFICE. 271 

blank to obey the order of Archduke Maximilian to 
fire, and the Commander of the Civic Guard had de- 
clined to order out his men for the purpose of restor- 
ing order, that they began to have a glimmering of 
their own peril. 

To the insistent demand for Metternich's dismissal 
no one had thus far paid any heed — he least of all. 
" Mettemich muss abdanken!" had been the burden 
of the cries heard for days past in the streets of 
Vienna and under the very windows of the Hofburg; 
and now, just when for the first time the Imperial 
family began to think that after all something would 
have to be done to appease the wild beast that was 
abroad, and to look around for a scapegoat, some one 
— sent, it is said, by the Archduchess Sophie — "opened 
the council chamber door softly, and whispered, 
i Mettemich muss abdanken!' and the courtiers in 
the ante-chamber repeated the words quite eagerly. 
Had a thunderbolt fallen at the Chancellor's feet, he 
would not have looked more startled. He gave but 
one glance at Prince Ludwig. It was enough ; in his 
face he read his own fate. ... In an instant he was on 
his feet, explaining, with much quiet dignity, that, if 
by resigning his office he could in any way contribute to 
the restoration of peace, he would resign it and gladly. 
No one spoke ; no one had for him a word of sym- 
pathy. He went his way without even a parting 
greeting." l 

1 Vienna in the Had Year, '48. 



272 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

The Viennese spent the night in wild jubilations 
over their victory, only to find in the mcrnino- that 
Prince Windischgratz had been appointed Military 
Governor of the city, and that he had declared Vienna 
to be in a state of siege. The populace once more 
poured into the streets and besieged the Hofburg, 
demanding to see the Emperor. Ferdinand was, 
however, befriending them in a more practical fashion 
than by bowing to them from a balcony. Notwith- 
standing the most earnest representations from almost 
every one about him, he refused to empower the new 
Governor to clear the streets, adhering obstinately to 
his " Ich lass' nit schiessen." At last, on the loth, the 
Archdukes decided that there was nothing for it but 
to allow the people to see the Emperor, hoping that 
they might then be induced quietly to disperse to 
their homes, and to abate their demands. Ferdinand 
accordingly was driven about through the city in 
an open carriage. "Wherever he went he was greeted 
with cries of " Vivat unser KonstitutUmeller Kaiser .'" 
" Vivat unser Ferdinand der nit schiessen tdsstl 93 

" The old man was delighted ; he lavished kindlv 
words, smiles and greetings on all sides ; and no 
sooner was he in the Hofburg again than, to the dis- 
may of the Court, he announced that ' ein so gutes 
Volk y welches ihm so sehr Hebe, mi'isse halt avch die 
verlangte Konstitution hahen ' [So good a people, and 
one that loved him so much, must certainly have this 
Constitution that thev wanted.) Thev must have it, 



THE CONSTITUTION PEOVES A FAILUEE. 273 

too, that very day, he insisted ; the decree granting 
the Constitution must be drawn up there and then. 
And it was drawn up, for the Princess Sophie was at 
hand to prevent delay ; and he signed at once, push- 
ing aside, quite angrily, those who would have stayed 
his hand. 

"'Am I, or am I not, Emperor?' he demanded, 
with a touch of the old Habsburg spirit, in reply to 
a suggestion that the decree should be submitted to a 
family council." 

Unfortunately, however, the affairs of the Empire 
were in too serious a condition for so simple a solu- 
tion. With an empty exchequer, mutual distrust and 
jealousy in the National parties, serious distress 
among the working classes, and a painful absence of 
men of ability to take the lead in the government, 
the dissatisfaction grew deeper and deeper. To crown 
all, the famous Constitution, when it finally appeared, 
was a miserable affair, satisfactory to no one. The 
Emperor went (or was taken) secretly to Innspruck, 
with the Court, and remained there till the middle of 
August. After his return there were evident indica- 
tions that his power of resistance was spent, and the 
Court party was getting the upper hand. Then came 
the order removing the two Grenadier regiments 
known to be friendly to the citizens to distant garri- 
son duty, and replacing them with two regiments of 
Czechs, between whom and the Viennese there was an 
old standing quarrel. This was all that was needed 
18 



274 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

to bring matters to a crisis. The attack on the AVar 
Office and murder of Count Latour, described in a 
previous chapter/ quickly followed, and the revolution 
of 1848 was on in earnest. It failed miserably. By 
November Prince Windischgratz had taken possession 
of the capital, with a hundred thousand men at his 
back, and a few weeks after this the Emperor Ferdi- 
nand abdicated. 

" If they shoot at my people, I will just go away," 
he had been heard to declare more than once ; and 
that is what he did, resigning his crown to his nephew, 
Francis Joseph — the young son of the Archduchess 
Sophie, who still occupies the throne. 
1 See p. 27. 



CHAPTER XV. 

The Imperial Hof burg— Statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy — Arch- 
duke Charles— The Franzens Platz— Interior of the Burg— 
The Burg Kapell— Anecdote of the Emperor Leopold I.— Statue 
of the Emperor Joseph II. — The Imperial Library — " Incuna- 
bula" — Rare MSS. — Verbotene Bucher — Apartments of the 
Emperor — His Audiences — Private Interviews — Guard Mount 
— Scenes in the Franzens Platz — The Roving Population — 
Church Ceremonies— Easter Even — Corpus Christi — The Pro- 
cession — Maunday Thursday — Washing the Feet — The Cere- 
mony as it is Performed in the Hofburg — Other Religious 
Observances — Frederick II. 's Annual Pilgrimage to Herrnals 
— Superstitions — The Lottery — The Princess Metternich's Cook 
and the Emperor's Illness. 

The Hofburg, the residence for so many succeed- 
ing generations of the Imperial House, a brief outline 
of whose history as it is connected with Vienna we 
have attempted to give in the preceding chapters, is 
approached from the Ring Strasse by a monumental 
gateway — the Burjjthor. erected in 1822. Bevond 
this is the Outer Burg Platz, where are seen on the 
right a statue of Prince Eugene of Savov, and on the 
left one of Archduke Charles, brother of the Emperor 
Francis. After the peace of Pressburg, 1 Archduke 
Charles w T as appointed President of the Aulic Council 

1 See p. 254. 
275 



276 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

of War, and it was he who reorganized the army and 
established the " Landwehr." The statue represents 
him at the battle of Aspern, a spot near Vienna, on 
the opposite side of the Danube, where the Archduke 
completely defeated Napoleon on the 21st and 22d of 
May, 1809. 

On the southeast of the Outer Burg Platz and skirt- 
ing the Hofgarten, is the new wing of the palace; a 
corresponding wing is designed to extend along the 
northwest, on the side of the Volksgarten. In the cen- 
tre of the palace is the Inner Burghof, or Franzens 
Platz, with a broDze monument of Emperor Francis 
II. : facing the Franzens Platz are the winor erected 
by Leopold I. and the Residenz, in which is situated 
the magnificent " Rittersaal." Here also are the 
apartments occupied by Maria Theresa and by Joseph 
II. On the north is the " Amalienhof." A passage 
and a drawbridge crossing an ancient moat lead from 
the Franzens Platz to the " Schweizerhof," the oldest 
part of the Burg (1210), which gets its name from the 
old Swiss Guard of the palace. The Imperial Trea- 
sury is also reached from the Franzens Platz. The 
richest and most valuable collections have been re- 
moved from the Treasury to the Imperial Museum of 
Art History. 1 South of the " Schweizerhof " is the 
Burg Ivapell, built in the middle of the fifteenth cen- 
tury; a small part of the choir is all that now repre- 
sents the original building. 

1 See p. 72. 



VIENNA CHAPEL— JOSEFS PLATZ. 277 

Here Ferdinand II. was wont to hear two masses 
daily, and on Sunday two sermons, one in German and 
one in Italian, besides the vesper service. It was he, 
as has been already mentioned, who instituted the 
" Vienna Chapel," consisting of eighty instruments 
and voices. 

The Emperor Leopold I. used to hear three masses 
daily in the Burg Kapell, remaining kneeling through- 
out, and never raising his eyes from the various books 
spread open before him on the floor. 

One day, while this Emperor was dining, the room 
in which he sat was struck by lightning. Amid the 
general excitement that followed, Leopold calmly ob- 
served, "As the Lord has given such a visible sign 
that it is now a better time for praying and fasting 
than for banqueting, take the meats away." 

From the Burg Kapell a gateway leads to the 
Josefs Platz, on the east. Here is seen a fine bronze 
equestrian statue of the Emperor Joseph II., with an 
inscription by Abbe Neumann : 

"Josepho Secundo, arduis nato, magnis perfuncto, majoribus praz- 
cepto, qui saluti publicce vixit non diu, sed lotus.'" 

The Imperial Library, built by the Emperor Charles 
VI. in the first half of the eighteenth century, is 
reached from the southeast corner of the Josefs Platz. 
In addition to its splendid collection of rare MSS. and 
Oriental documents, this library possesses no fewer 



278 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

than six thousand " Incunabula/' that is to say, 
books printed before the sixteenth century. 

Among the greatest treasures are a Psalter of Saint 
Hildegarde, wife of Charlemagne, which, besides 
being interesting from its historical associations, is a 
very beautiful example of the illuminator's art; a 
copy of " Gerusalemrne Conquistata," written with 
Tasso's own hand ; rare copies of " Gerard de Rous- 
sillon," and of the " Divine Comedy." the latter with 
fourteenth century illustrations ; and a " Parseval," 
also finely illustrated. 

Among the MSS. collected by Madam Ida Pfeiifer, 
in the course of a journey around the world, there 
are a Calendar and a Book of Fables, belonging to a 
certain tribe of cannibals. It appears that these 
amiable and interesting anthropophagi have a code of 
laws, and number among their people men of science 
and of letters. They combine, it would seem, with a 
weakness for eating one another, a taste for bucolic 
verse. Certain shelves of the library bear the label, 
" Verbotene Bucher" — prohibited books. These 
consist, for the most part, of " heretical " religious 
works, with a sprinkling of such books as Rousseau's 
" Confessions," and Ovid's "Art of Loving." 

The new facade of the Burg, facing the Michaeler 
Platz on the north, was erected in 1800-90. It occu- 
pies a part of the site of the old Burg Theatre, once 
an integral part of the Palace, the theatre in which 
Maria Theresa so startled the audience by announc- 



Gateway of the Hofburg on the Michacle, Plat* 



THE AUDIENCES OF FKANCIS JOSEPH. 279 

ing, from the Imperial box, the birth of a grand- 
son. 

The apartments occupied by the present Emperor 
are reached from a vestibule between the Michaeler 
Platz and the Franzens Platz. 

" One can say of him (Francis Joseph) that he has 
been, and still is, the most popular and sincerely 
beloved monarch in all Christendom ; beloved, too, 
by both rich and poor ; by the high-born and by the 
humbler classes. To the latter, in particular, he has 
been always accessible, ever ready to lend an ear to 
their personal troubles and grievances, and eager to 
redress them. Nothing is more characteristic of this 
than the scenes which take place in his ante-chamber 
on Monday and Thursday mornings, when he is in 
Vienna. The great ante-room is thronged with car- 
dinals and prelates, with generals and statesmen, with 
great nobles and magnates, and, mingling with all 
these high and mighty personages, are Bohemian 
bricklayers, miserable creatures from the poorer 
quarters of Vienna, and village priests, all waiting 
to submit their troubles, their sorrows, their wrongs 
and their grievances to 'unserii guten Kaiser.' 
I need scarcely add that, very much in accord- 
ance with the teachings of the New Testament, it 
is the village priest who is generally received before 
the scarlet-robed cardinal; the poorly-clad peasant 
before the cabinet minister in his gold-embroidered 
uniform, and the farmer before the great territorial 



280 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

magnate. . . . Any one who has serious business with 
him may see him, and speak with him quite alone, 
without even a secretary being present. The appli- 
cant, whatever may be his station, is ushered into a 
study, and finds the Emperor in a plain uniform, with- 
out a single decoration. He may say what he likes, 
sure of being hearkened to with patient attention. 
The scenes that have been enacted in the Emperor's 
private chamber no chronicler will ever tell. Of the 
acts of kindness, mercy and charity shown ; of the 
swift redress of wrongs; of the shrewd, soldierly 
advice given, and of the Imperial magnanimity dis- 
played at all times, no record has been kept, excepting 
in the Emperor's own memory, if even there." l 

The Burg, like the Imperial Residence at Berlin, 
has its legend, or phantom. Here it is a White Lady, 
who appears on the eve of some terrible calamity. 
Other phantoms cross the pages of the history of the 
Burg ; but they have lost caste, and a modern and 
incredulous world refuses to be terrified by them. 

Every day, at one o'clock, the gray walls of the Old 
Residence are enlivened by the gay sounds of military 
music. These concerts are a sort of musical absinthe, 
taken before the great evening concerts, and are one 
of Vienna's chief attractions, in the estimation of the 
Viennese. 

The Guard House is on the south of the Franzens 
Platz. The Guard Corps is drawn up under arms, 
1 Martyrdom of an Empress. 



CEKEMONIES OF THE CHUECH. 281 

waiting to be relieved ; the band, disposed in a circle, 
performs marches, waltzes and pot pourris, while two 
or three hundred people stand about in groups, or 
walk around the statue of the Emperor Francis, who 
is represented on foot and in the act of blessing his 
people. The crowd is largely composed of individ- 
uals clad in what might pass for coal-heavers ? 
blouses; their shoes give evident signs of wear; their 
garments are forlornly ragged ; in short, they are the 
lazzaroni of Vienna. 

With both hands thrust deep in his tattered 
pockets, and an old cigar end, picked up before the 
door of some cafe, between his teeth, a member of 
this community will pass his days tramping about in 
the wake of every band that marches through the 
streets. He has probably breakfasted " by heart ;" l 
he will dine off a bit of sausage and an end of bread, 
and sup in some kitchen off of broken bits, given in 
exchange for an errand done for madam, or some 
trifling favor performed for the cook. 

On the Feast of "Corpus Christi," and during 
Holy Week and at Easter, the ceremonies of the 
Church are conducted at Vienna with accompaniments 
of mediaeval pomp and circumstance. On Easter 
Even a blare of trumpets announces that the Holy 
Sacrament, which has previously been transferred 
from its usual place on the altar of the Burg Kapell 

1 Dejeuner— diner par coeur—a. French figure of speech signifying 
to go without a meal involuntarily. 



282 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE 

to a tomb especially constructed to receive it in a 
distant chapel, is about to be escorted back to its 
golden tabernacle. The procession, in which the 
Emperor and Empress take part in full court dress, 
passes arouud one of the interior courts of the Burg, 
and presents a very brilliant spectacle. 

But the most imposing of these ceremonies is the 
FronleichnamsfeS', the " Corpus Christi " festival, insti- 
tuted by Pope Urban IV. in 1264, in honor of the 
Consecrated Host. As already mentioned, it was the 
religious Emperor Ferdinand II. (1619—1637) who 
inaugurated the custom of the Emperor taking part 
in person in this celebration, in order to prevent the 
Protestants from creating a disturbance. 

The departure of the procession is announced by a 
salvo of artillery, and presently it is seen slowly issu- 
ing forth from beneath the draped and decorated 
archway of one of the entrances to the Burg. There 
is a flourish of trumpets, at once warlike and sacer- 
dotal, and then the military escort, in full dress, and 
each soldier wearing an oak leaf in his shako, forms 
in two solid lines. The throng of spectators, thus 
swept back on either hand, flows up against the 
neighboring walls like a wave of the sea ; while over- 
head every window and balcony shows a compact mass 
of curious faces and outstretched necks. The cortege- 
sweeps along, gorgeous and many-colored as the pro- 
cessions of saint- one sees in the stained-glass windows 
of ancient cathedrals. First come the lesser clerg 



CORPUS CHRISTI-THE PEOCESSION. 283 

the vivid whiteness of whose lace-edged surplices is 
increased by contrast with the black cassocks worn 
below. Next are the equerries, wearing red, gold- 
embroidered waistcoats ; and then the pages, their 
pretty, cherubic faces surmounting doublets of satin ; 
lackeys in scarlet coats and knee-breeches; game- 
keepers in black and blue liveries ; cooks, whose ad- 
vance guards arejheir own stomachs, and their noses 
their cup-bearers. Following the Emperor's house- 
hold come kettle-drummers in gala uniform, the mu- 
sicians of the Court Chapel wearing side-arms ; then 
more pages, displaying on their breasts the Imperial 
escutcheon ; chamberlains, with the key worn cross- 
wise ; chevaliers of the Teutonic Order, wearing long 
cloaks, like those in which St. Joseph is usually repre- 
sented; and then a group of nobles, in furred capes, 
slashed and festooned boots, broad hats looped back 
with diamond aigrettes, and curved sabres, glorious 
and resplendent as so many Magi. 

The Archbishop bears the Holy Sacrament in. a 
shrine encrusted with rubies, and enveloped in a cloud 
of incense, through which it shines like a celestial 
luminary ; while the dove, worked in silver thread, 
its outspread wings sewn with spangles, stands out 
against the crimson heaven of the dais as though it 
were living and breathing in this atmosphere of para- 
dise. Behind the Archbishop, Avhose tunic glows 
with embroidery as rich and gorgeous as that on the 
cloak of a Byzantine Emperor, walks the Emperor 



2s4 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Francis Joseph, wearing the uniform of a General of 
the army. He is surrounded by his staff of marshals 
and officers, and followed by the German Guard, uni- 
formed in red and gold, and the Hungarian Guard, 
with shining helmets, and leopard-skins thrown over 
their shoulders, caught together on their breasts with 
jeweled clasps. Heralds-at-arms, sounding upon 
their silver trumpets ; members of the Imperial 
Guard, armed with lances ; the Police Corps of the 
Court, their black helmets surmounted with scarlet 
crests ; and the Castle Guard, carrying halberds, bring 
up the rear of this imposing cortege. It is like a 
vision of fairyland. All this Imperial and sacerdjtal 
pomp, the robes of crimson and violet, the glowing 
tunics and chasubles, the floating albs, the gold-laced 
uniforms, the plumed head-pieces, the theatrical liv- 
eries, the cloud of lace, the flaming mass of gold 
braid, church ornaments of gold and jewels, sweeps 
before one's dazzled eyes like a celestial vision. 

The Viennese dote on these magnificent func- 
tions, and such enormous crowds congregate to see 
them that on great feast-days it is almost impossible 
to make one's way through some of the streets, so 
dense is the throng of persons going about from one 
church to another, impelled, however, more by curi- 
osity than by piety. 

On Maunday Thursday the Archbishop washes the 
feet of the Canons, to each of whom is handed a cup 
oi' Spanish wine. Formerly the magistrates and prom- 



Empress Elizabeth 



,~ s^z 




CEREMONY OF WASHING THE FEET. 285 

inent ladies who witnessed this ceremony presented 
similar cups to the Archbishop. 

The Emperor, assisted during her lifetime by the late 
Empress, also performs this office in the Hof burg for 
twenty-four old men and women, who are then waited 
upon at table, and presented each with a small purse 
full of silver pieces. Witnesses of this ceremony declare 
that it is impossible to view it without emotion. Especi- 
ally impressive was it when the late Empress, in the 
full bloom of her majestic beauty, took part. The 
spectacle of the sovereign of the haughtiest Court of 
Europe humbly kneeling before each feeble old man ; 
of that glorious Imperial head bent low at the feet of 
each trembling old woman, recalled irresistibly the 
words pronounced by Christ in that upper room in 
Jerusalem — "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the ser- 
vant is not greater than his lord. . . ." 

Mrs. Trollope has left a graphic description of this 
ceremony as she saw it performed in 1836 by the Em- 
peror Ferdinand I. (of Austria) and his Empress. 

" A long, narrow table was spread down each si'de 
of the grande salle of the palace, raised on an estrade 
covered with a carpet ; on the inner side of each table 
were twelve arm-chairs, and, about an hour after the 
spectators who lined the walls had taken their places, 
twelve old men and as many old women were led in, 
each by two supporters, and placed in them. They 
were neatly and warmly clothed for the occasion, but 
the form of their garments looked as if they were 



286 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

coeval with the institution. After they had been some 
time seated, the usual three announcing taps were 
heard upon the floor, the throng of officers and high 
officials of the Court fell back, and the Emperor and 
all the Archdukes at present in Vienna, all in military 
uniforms, walked up the room. Immediately after- 
wards the Empress, Archduchess Sophie [mother of 
the present Emperor], and a dozen attendant ladies 
followed. They mounted the estrades on which the 
tables were placed ; the Emperor and his suite on the 
side allotted to the men, and the Empress, Archduchess 
and their ladies on the other. 

" The graceful Empress placed herself opposite a 
tidy, little old woman, whose superiority of age (she 
only wanted one year of a hundred) gave her the first 
place, the Archduchess stood next, and they had both 
a grand e-maitresse behind them ; while ten noble 
ladies in attendance stationed themselves each one op- 
posite an old woman, all of whom were placed in order 
from the venerable ninety-nine down to the cadette 
aged eighty- four. 

" On the other side of the room the Emperor and 
the Archdukes and the gentlemen in waiting did the 



same. 



" As soon as the Court had thus placed themselves, 
and each old pensioner received a kind word or two, 
which in more than one instance called up a blush of 
pleasure and agitation on the faded, furrowed cheek ot^ 
age, a double file of servants in state liveries marched 



THE CEREMONY IN THE HOFBURG. 287 

up the room, each bearing a tray laden with what ap- 
peared to be very dainty viands, but of which meat, 
of course, made no part. 

" The top of the female table was immediately before 
the place we occupied, and the Empress being stationed 
at that end of it, our attention was naturally fixed upon 
her, and certainly no one ever went through a ceremony 
with greater perfection of demeanor in every way. 
The first part of the humble Christian office she had 
lent herself to perform consisted in placing with her 
own hands the various dishes provided for the venera- 
ble senior upon whom she waited ; and this was done 
with a quiet, gentle sweetness that made us almost 
forget the Empress in admiration for the woman. 
Her august sister-in-law, and each fair dame in order, 
followed the edifying example, and the table was 
speedily covered. Nothing, however, was eaten by 
the guests but soup; it having been ascertained for 
some years past, that sending home untouched the por- 
tion served to each, for their private enjoyment and 
that of their friends, gave them more pleasure than 
eating a nervous meal in the Imperial presence, and 
having the remnants sent after them. Three entrees, 
and a dessert, comprehending I imagine as much food 
as would serve a family for a week's feasting;, were sue- 
cessively placed on the table, and removed by royal 
and noble hands, with all the zeal and activity of care- 
ful attendants. 

" I suppose one of the old women looked wistfully 



288 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

at the parting dishes, as if she were hungry ; for the 
Archduchess Sophie bent across the table, spoke a few 
words to her, and then proceeded to cut oif a slice of 
bread from a loaf that flanked her plate, and gave it 
to her. It was eaten with much apparent appetite, 
aided perhaps by the draught of what I presume was 
wine, which the poor soul drank with evident and 
hearty goodwill from a goblet that stood before her. 
This draught was, I think, taken by all, and was in 
every way well-timed, as it served to drink to the health 
of their Imperial hosts, to recruit strength and spirits 
that must undoubtedly have been somewhat tried by 
the whole scene, and to fortify them against the effects 
of the severe cold without. 

" The dinner having been thus placed and removed, 
the tables were withdrawn with great celerity and the 
most remarkable part of. the ceremony began. Pages 
approached with gold basin, ewer and napkins; the 
beautiful Empress drew off her gloves and tied a 
white linen apron round her waist, while every lady 
on the estrade knelt down before the poor old woman 
opposite to her and pulled off her shoe and stocking. 
When this was completed they drew back, and a long 
line of white linen cloth was placed by some of the 
attendants over the row of naked feet, to prevent their 
being unnecessarily exposed. 

" Meanwhile a priest placed himself at a desk pre- 
pared for him, exactly, by the way, in front of the 
Nuncio and the Turkish Ambassador, who sat side by 



THE CEREMONY IN THE HOFBURG. 289 

side on the same bench we occupied — the former hav- 
ing performed the prescribed ablutions for twelve poor 
men at an early hour of the morning, that he might 
be present at this Imperial ceremony. The Gospel 
from whence the necessity of performing this act of 
humiliation is drawn by Roman Catholics was read ; 
and it was then that one might perceive how truly the 
Empress of Austria submitted herself to the perform- 
ance of this lowly office from genuine religious feel- 
ing. She had hitherto performed the part she had 
taken upon herself with an air of smiling kindness ; 
but her countenance, which is one of great feeling, is 
rather grave than joyous, and even her smile expresses 
more of goodness than of gaiety. But, while she placed 
the dainty dishes that were to be their portion before 
the poor people seated at the board, her look and man- 
ner spoke, without the slightest shade of affectation, a 
well-pleased, gracious hospitality, that had no mixture 
of penance in it. But no sooner did the priest begin 
to pronounce the words of the Gospel, than her soul 
seemed to retire into itself; her lips moved in prayer,' 
and, though neither her hands nor eyes were raised to 
heaven, nor gesticulations of any kind used to produce 
the external appearance of devotion, there was some- 
thing in her whole person that might have helped a 
painter at need, who wished to represent, not the mar- 
tyrdom, but the holy self-devotion of a saint. 

" When the preparations were completed she drew 
near the first woman in the line, and, kneeling down, 
19 



290 VIENNA AXD THE VIENNESE 

dipped the corner of a napkin in water and touched 
the foot, which, having wiped, she bent low her fair 
Imperial head and kissed it. ... I think it impossi- 
ble for any real Christian, let the form of his Chris- 
tianity be as simple and undemonstrative as it may, to 
see this gracious creature drag herself along upon her 
knees in the performance of this painful ceremony, 
without feeling that she had humbled her heart before 
God. 

" On ri-ing from her knees she was very pale, and 
I saw tears in her fine dark eyes ; but she presently 
resumed her tranquil air, laid aside her apron, drew 
on her gloves, and concluded the business of the morn- 
ing by throwing over the neck of each poor old soul a 
ribbon, from which depended a little purse containing 
forty pieces of silver, adding what really, from the man- 
ner of its reception, seemed more precious still, the 
favor of her extended hand to kiss. Even this, how- 
ever, was not enough to satisfy the feeling she in- 
spired, for after she had passed by I saw one of the 
old women stretch out a palsied hand to seize her 
dress, which she pressed fervently to her lips, and I 
almost envied the good soul her opportunity, tor I 
should have well liked to kiss the hem of her garment 
myself. 

" We were in the front row of the tribune, which 
was so placed that the gentlemen who were walking 
about the room were able to converse with those placed 
in it, and I overheard a young scapegrace say as he 



THE CEREMONY IX THE HOFBURG. 291 

passed, ' N'est ce pas jouer la comedie ? ' i Au moins 
la piece est fort belle,' was the answer. 

" The kind-hearted Emperor appeared to perform 
his part of the ceremony in serving the table with great 
activity and good nature ; but we were too far from 
his estrade to see very well what was done upon it. 

" The twenty-four poor people were all dressed in 
new uniforms for the occasion : the women in gowns 
of gray cloth, with large, round black hats, over 
which, though they were flexible enough, the ribbon 
that sustained the purse was not passed without some 
little difficulty. The caps, pinners and aprons were 
all most delicately white. The dress of the men was 
of the same material as the gowns of the women, and 
their hats were nearly similar. The greatest singu- 
larity of the male attire was a sort of white muslin 
tippet round their necks, such as we often see in the 
pictures of Holbein. Their gray beards, which had 
been permitted to grow, in honor of the ceremony, added 
greatly to their venerable and picturesque appearance. 
The ages of the men varied from ninety-nine to eighty- 
three ; those of the women from ninety-nine to eighty- 
four, the aggregate of age among the females surpass- 
ing by eight years that of the males. The old women, 
too, appeared considerably the most active and robust. 
They are twenty-four of the oldest poor people to be 
found in the city, capable of being brought to the 
palace." 1 

1 Vienna and the Austrians. Frances Trollope. 



292 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

In the eighteenth century the " Passion Play " was 
acted at midday of Good Friday, in the choir of the 
Cathedral. On Palm Sunday a wooden ass. painted 
and crowned with flowers, was drawn along in the pro- 
cession — a custom, the memory of which still survives 
in the Viennese proverb, " Beautiful as the ass of the 
Palms." Formerly the priest used to appear at 
Christmas, at the portal of the Cathedral, to pro- 
nounce the " Blessing of the Wolves," a custom 
dating from the time when wolves, made bold by 
hunger, would sometimes venture in the winter time 
into the very streets of the city, their savage howls 

asionally mingling with the religious services of 
the Cathedral. 

All Souls' Day is observed with reverent piety. 
The graves are decorated with wreaths and flowers, 
and lit up with lanterns, tapers and small lamps. 
Among the lower classes it is firmly believed that, 
should one have the c >urage to walk through a ceme- 
terv at midnight of that day. he would meet a loner 
pn -cession of phantoms. 1 g after whom would 

be seen the spirits of all who were destine-d t<;> die in 
the course of the - og year. In a popular drama, 
which was given every year on the eve of All Souls', 
this funereal pro - □ was represented passing slowly 
bb the stage, while the entire theatre was filled 
with the sobs and moans of the audience. 

Under Ferdinand IT. (1 619-1 637J an annual pil- 
grimage to the estate ol Hernials was instituted, in 



SUPERSTITIONS— THE LOTTEKY. 293 

expiation cf the preaching there of the first Protestant 
sermon delivered in Austria. The pilgrimage t k 
place in Holy Week. The highway leading foam 

Vienna to Hernials was divided into Stations of the 
Cross. The procession- set out from the Hofburg, 
each individual masked, mounted on an ass. and cos- 
tumed to represent some Biblical personage — one of 
the three wise men, an apostle, the Virgin, Joseph, 
Mary Magdalen, even Herod and Pilate, would ap- 
pear : and all along the route there were throngs of 
persons on foot, also masked- stumbling under heavy 
burdens, these sometimes in the form of a cross, flag- 
ellating themselves, and carrying on their breasts 
boards, on which lists of their particular sins were 
set forth. 

Many ancient superstitious practices are still relig- 
iously observed by the Viennese. They never fail, 
for example, to address a "God keep you" or "God 
bless you" to any one who sneezes. In the Middle 
Ages all nervous affections were believed to be caused 
by an evil spirit, whom prayer alone could exorcise; 
but in certain Austrian villages it is customary to 
apply the whip to children suffering from whooping 
cough. 

The lottery tends to keep alive a quantity of super- 
stitious practices. Mention to your landlady that you 
have lost your pocket-book, she will eagerly inquire 
the exact date and hour when it was lost, in order to 
purchase a lottery ticket with corresponding numbers. 



294 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

" I am certain to win," she will say. When Baron 
Sina died, all the old Avomen in Vienna bought tickets 
corresponding to the date of his death. This form of 
superstition is not confined to the lower classes. 
During the last illness of the Emperor Francis, in 
the spring of 1835, the Princess Melanie, wife of 
Prince Metternich, makes the following entry in her 
journal : 

"March 1. — This morning's report is a fairly good 
one. Our revered Emperor had passed a tolerably 
quiet night. My people told me the cook had yester- 
day put into the lottery with the following numbers : 
No. 12 (the Emperor having been born on the 12th of 
February) ; 43 (to-day being the forty-third anniver- 
sary of his accession); and 67 (his age). The tickets 
cost her thirty kreutzers [about seventeen cents], and 
this morning she has won 2800 florins [nearly $1200]. 
We looked upon this as a good omen, and Clement 
[Prince Metternich] wrote about it to the Empress, 
who showed the note to our good Emperor." 



CHAPTER XVI. 

The Augustiner Kirche — The Loretto Chapel— Monument of the 
Archduchess Maria Christina— Canova's Monument at Venice 
— Tomb of General Daun— His Services to Austria— Gratitude 
of Maria Theresa— She Establishes the Order of Merit called 
by her Name— Church of the Capuchins, the St. Denis of the 
Imperial House— Tomb of Maria Theresa and Francis I. — 
Personal Charm of Francis— His Wife's Devotion — Her Grief 
at his Death— Visits to his Tomb— Her Unwieldy Size— Death 
of the Empress— Disturbances in the Streets — Tombs of Maria 
Louisa and the Duke of Pieichstadt — Tomb of Maximilian, 
Emperor of Mexico — Agreement of Spain, Great Britain and 
France for a Demonstration in Mexico — France's Action — 
Causes Assigned for the Policy of Napoleon III. — The Arch- 
duke Maximilian Invited to be Emperor — France Promises 
Support — The Oath of Office Administered at Miramar — Maxi- 
milian and Carlotta go to Mexico — Difficulties of the Situation 
— Desertion of France — The Empress goes to Europe to Appeal 
for Aid — Maximilian Betrayed by General Lopez — President 
Juarez Orders the Emperor and Generals Miramon and Mejia 
to be Shot — The Emperor's Body Conveyed Back to Austria. 

A subterranean passageway leads from the 
Burg to the Augustiner Ivirche, in the Augustiner- 
gasse, the Court church of Vienna. Here, in the 
Loretto Chapel, built in 1627 by Eleanora of Mantua, 
wife of Ferdinand II., are preserved in silver urns 
the hearts of the Emperors and Empresses who have 
reigned since her day. The church is Gothic, its 

295 



296 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

oldest part dating from 1330. On entering the at- 
tention is at once drawn to the imposing white 
marble monument of the Archduchess Maria Chris- 
tina, executed by Canova, a poor copy of which was 
erected in 1827 in the Church of St. Maria Gloriosa 
de Fraru at Venice, as a memorial to the sculptor 
himself, his heart being preserved there in an ala- 
baster vase. 

A half-open door in the centre of a marble pyra- 
mid leads to the interior of the tomb, about to enter 
which are a number of allegorical figures. Virtue, 
veiled, carries an urn, containing the ashes of the 
Archduchess. Goodness supports the figure of a 
feeble old man, bowed down with the weight of 
years and grief. A weeping child brings up the rear. 
Aloft, Happiness is seen bearing a medallion, on 
which are carved the calm and smiling features of 
the beautiful Archduchess. She was the favorite 
daughter of Maria Theresa, and was married to Duke 
Albert of Saxe Teschen, a son of the King of Poland. 
Apart from her handsome face, she was especially 
famed for her beautiful hands. Her death occurred in 
1798. 

The Emperor Leopold II. is interred in the Au- 
gustiner Kirche, and here likewise is seen the tomb 
of the celebrated Austrian General Daun, who at a 
critical moment saved the Monarchy to the Habsburgs. 

In the spring of 1757 Frederick II. of Prussia 
(Frederick the Great) made a determined effort to 



Monument of Archduchess Maria Christina 



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SIEGE OF PRAGUE— GENERAL DAUN. 297 

break down the league formed against him by most 
of the European Powers. Suddenly appearing in 
Bohemia in April, he made a rapid advance towards 
Prague, and on the 6th of April defeated the Aus- 
trians, after a desperate battle in which both sides lost 
heavily. Prague; where twenty-eight thousand of the 
Austrian army took refuge, was at once blockaded, and 
before many weeks had passed was reduced almost to 
a state of famine. Maria Theresa contrived, however, 
to get a message introduced within the walls, couched 
in the most hopeful and encouraging terms, and 
giving no hint of the really desperate situation in 
which she found herself. The townspeople and gar- 
rison accordingly determined to hold out, in the belief 
that relief would shortly come. 

It was then that the Bohemian General, Count 
Daun, by pursuing a plan of his own, and op- 
posing the wishes and advice of all his officers, won 
a brilliant victory over the Prussians at Kolin (June 
18, 1757), and thus turned the tide of fortune in 
favor of the Austrian arms. The siege of Prague was' 
raised, the Prussians rapidly withdrew from Bohemia, 
and the Princes of the Empire, who had been waver- 
ing in their allegiance, once more rallied to the sup- 
port of the Empress-Queen. 

When the news of the victory of Kolin was re- 
ceived, Vienna went into paroxysms of joy. The 
Empress, determined to show her appreciation of 
General Daun's achievement, and to do him all pos- 



VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

sible honor, went to announce the glorious news to 
the Countess Daun in person. Banquets were given, 
rewards were distribute 1 ! generously among all who 
had contributed to the victory, and the Empress insti- 
tuted the Order of Maria Theresa — a military order 
of merit — in commemoration of the event. The deco- 
ration is a gold Maltese — namelc I in white on a 
white circlet: framing the medallion, which is : 
the word Fort Hue. 

Four years . the anniversary :: the battle, 

she writes to General Daun : 

"My deae Coukt Dattx: 

• . ■• m • lay 1 ; 98 with mi : B5e 
my, believe me, m si heartfelt hanks and congratulation-. 7 
Monarchy o T -v - bo yon its 

ence. my fine and beloved army, and the life of my dear and only 
brother-in-law. . . .'* l 

But the St. Penis of the Hons Austria is the 

Church of the Capuchins, on the Neoe Markt. Here 
Matthias II. and his wife were buried (in 1619 
1618 res] L it has £ :hen been the 

burial-place of manv members of the Imperial family. 

In striking contrast with the other t 3, most 
which are extremely simple, is the Large £ hagos 

built by Maria Theresa : receive her own and her 
husband's bodies. 

The Empress married, in 1736, Francis 1 I- :"aine, 

1 Prince Ch tries :' I - ; - the Em] 

hduehess Maria Anne, in 174-L 



DEATH OF FRANCIS I. 999 

Grand Duke of Tuscany, and later, German Emperor. 
His mother was a daughter of the Duke of Orleans 
and niece of Louis XIV. 

Francis was exceedingly handsome; he was cheerful, 
amiable a ad pleasure loving, with winning manners, 
generous and manly. Throughout the twenty-nine 
years of their married life he was the object of his 
wife's passionate if somewhat exacting love. He died 
on August 18, 1765, at Innspruck, whither he had 
gone to attend the marriage of his second son (after- 
wards Leopold II.) with the Spanish Infanta, Maria 
Louisa. Maria Theresa never recovered from this 
blow, and for the remaining fifteen years of her life 
she wore mourning for her " never-enousrh-to-be- 
praised handsome and amiable Francis.''' She de- 
clared that in him she had lost " the most affectionate 
friend, the most dearly beloved companion during a 
union of thirty years, and the only joy of my life," 
and she insisted upon making his shroud with her own 
hands. She abandoned the apartments on the first 
floor of the Hofburg, which she had occupied with 
her husband, and established herself in another part 
of the palace, and she every year set aside the entire 
month of August, as well as the eighteenth day of 
every month, to be passed as a time of mourning, and 
in the exercise of particular acts of devotion. 

Although in her youth the Empress, besides being 
very beautiful, had a graceful and well-proportioned 
figure, she became later, owing to a dropsical com- 



300 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

plaint, exceedingly corpulent. Towards the close of 
lier life, therefore, when she wished to visit her hus- 
band's tomb iu the Capuchins, she had herself placed 
in an arm-chair, and lowered into the vault by means 
of ropes. On the last of these visits one of the ropes 
broke. " See ! n she cried, " he wishes to keep me. I 
shall come soon." Shortly after this she was taken 
ill; the malady increased rapidly and the Empress 
suffered greatly. As the end drew near, she started 
up, and asked to have the windows thrown open. 
"Where does your Majesty wish to go?" asked her 
eldest son Joseph, who for several days had hardly 
left her bedside. 

"To thee ! I am coming ! " cried the dying Empress, 
and immediately expire! (November 29, 1780). 

The body, very simply habited, lay in state for four 
days; the heart was placed in the Loretto Chapel of the 
Augustiner Kirche, and the bowels beneath the higb 
altar of St. Stephan's Cathedral. It is said that owing 
to a lately imposed tax upon liquors, the Empress, /.: 
the moment of her death, was very unpopular among 
the Viennese; so that, notwithstanding the presence of 
an escort of Grenadiers, the funeral procession to the 
Capuchin Church was the occasion of disturbances in 
the streets, some stones actually beiug hurled at the 
coffin. 

The Capuchin vault also contains the tomb of Maria 
Louisa, daughter of Francis II., and wife of Napoleon, 
and of her son, the Duke of Reichstadt (died 1832). 



COALITION AGAINST MEXICO. 301 

Close by lies the unfortunate Maximilian, Emperor of 
Mexico, and brother of the present Emperor Francis 
Joseph. 

In 1861 France, Spain and Great Britain entered 
into an alliance for the purpose of exacting from 
Mexico compensation for losses and injuries inflicted 
upon their respective subjects on Mexican territory. 
An expedition was planned, but before anything 
could be accomplished Great Britain and Spain made 
private settlements with Mexico and withdrew from 
the alliance. France, from the first the most interested 
party, was left to handle the matter alone. Various 
causes have been suggested to explain the keen interest 
manifested throughout by the French Government in 
Mexican affairs. To provide, by the establishment of a 
stable and friendly government, a steady supply of cot- 
ton for the French market, independent of the United 
States, was the reason given out ; while the fantastic 
notion that Napoleon III. contemplated transplanting 
the Papal See from Europe to Mexico, in order to ac- 
complish the re-establishment of a temporal state, was' 
seriously discussed in more than one European capital. 

Two prominent Mexicans, Generals Miramon and 
Almonte, had visited the Courts of the three Powers 
unofficially — the Mexican Government being then Re- 
publican, with President Juarez at its head — as repre- 
sentatives of the monarchical party in Mexico, and 
had urged them to intervene to establish a monarchy, 
which they, of course, declared was earnestly desired 



302 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

by a majority of the people. France now sent a mili- 
tary expedition to Mexico ; after winning one or two 
battles over the troops of the Republic, the French 
entered the capital amid every appearance of national 
rejoicing, the opposition keeping well out of sight. A 
provisional government was organized, and on July 
10, 1863, the so-called Assembly of Notables voted to 
establish an Imperial form of government, and to invite 
Archduke Maximilian of Austria to come and rule 
over them. 

Archduke Maximilian was then thirty years old. 
He had married Carlotta, of Belgium, a Princess 
whose jealousy and animosity helped to embitter 
the early married life of the late Empress Elizabeth, 
as her ambition proved the ruin of her husband. The 
couple occupied the beautiful Palace of Miramar, 
on the Adriatic. Here, in October, 1863, a 
Mexican deputation waited upon the Archduke to 
offer him the crown. This he declined to accept, 
unless it could be shown that the vote of the " Nota- 
bles '' voiced the desires of the people of Mexico. 

On the 10th of April, 1864, the delegation returned. 
Some sort of general election had been attempted, 
with, they declared, the result that Maximilian was 
the desired of the people. 

" It was Sunday, and one of the most serene and 
lovely of Italian days, as the Mexican deputation 
left their apartments in the Hotel de Yille, of Trieste, 
and repaired to the palace of Maximilian. . . . They 



MAXIMILIAN GOES TO MEXICO. 303 

were presented to the Archduke in the magnificent 
hall of reception. Maximilian, in the uniform of a 
Vice-Admiral of the Austrian navy, stood before a 
table covered with a cloth of richest tapestry. Carlotta 
was by his side, also in very elegant attire. . . . 

"The oath of office was administered by high dig- 
nitaries of the Church. The assembly then repaired 
to the chapel, where the grand Te Deum was chanted. 
The flag of Mexico rose proudly over the tower of 
the castle, greeted by salutes, which echoed along the 
hills, from the frigates in the harbor, and from the 
Castle in Trieste. 

" Four days after this, on the 14th of April, Maxi- 
milian and Carlotta left their beautiful home on the 
shores of the Adriatic to enter upon that tragedy in 
Mexico which is one of the saddest in the annals of 
time. . . . 

" At two o'clock in the afternoon, the Emperor and 
Empress, having taken an affectionate and tearful 
adieu of their friends, arm-in-arm descended the mar- 
ble steps of the palace to the sea which washed their 
base. The air was filled with the roar of cannon, with 
the music of the bands, and with the acclaim of the 
thousands who were clustered upon every adjacent 
point. A boat, canopied with purple and gold, 
received them and conveyed them to the steamer 
Novara. The event was announced by a salute from 
all the frigates in the harbor, and from the guns in 
the Castle of Trieste, while the crews of the boats 



304 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

and the ships almost drowned the thunders of the 
cannon by their shouts. 

" The flag of Mexico was unfurled and the steamer 
weighed anchor and put to sea, escorted by the French 
frigate Themis and an Austrian fleet of eleven 
steamers." 

The Imperial pair landed at Civita Vecchia and 
visited Rome, where they had a magnificent military 
reception, followed by two days of public festivities. 
They attended mass at the Vatican, where the Pope 
was the celebrant. They had also two long private 
audiences with his Holiness, and on the 20th of April 
they re-embarked at Civita Veeehia. More than a 
month later (May 28th) they arrived at Vera Cruz. 

All writers asree in onvinu; Maximilian and Carlotta 
credit for a conscientious and unwearying zeal in the 
performance of the difficult task that lay before them. 
They did all that courage, earnestness and fortitude 
could accomplish to rescue the people and the country 
they had come to rule over, from the state of anarchy 
and misery into which years of misrule had reduced 
it. But the odds were too fearfully against them. 

France had agreed to keep an army of twenty-five 
thousand men in Mexico until the work of pacifica- 
tion should be accomplished, and in any case to main- 
tain there for six years a force of eight thousand men, 
at the disposal of the Emperor. The necessary funds 
were to be raised by the creation of two loans, one at 
least of which, in small shares at a high rate of inter- 



DIFFICULTIES IN THE MEXICAN SITUATION. 305 

est, was taken up for the most part by small proprie- 
tors in the provinces of France. 

Maximilian found a large proportion of the inhabit- 
ants of his new realm in a state of sullen opposition 
to his government ; the exchequer was bankrupt ; the 
United States inimical. M. Thiers described the 
progress of the French forces through the country as 
being like that of " a vessel cleaving its way through 
waters which immediately close upon its track." 
On the approach of the French, the native troops 
and officials would abandon the towns, returning as 
soon as the army had passed on. And all the time 
Juarez (the ex-President of the Mexican Republic) 
was able to keep his army in some sort of state of 
organization, avoiding actual engagements as far as 
possible, and awaiting the opportunity for decisive 
action. 

On October 3d, 1865, Maximilian issued a de- 
cree, declaring that all persons found in arms against 
his government, and all who supplied arms or provi- 
sions to the same, were liable to be tried by court- 
martial and shot within twenty-four hours. The exe- 
cution within a fortnight of the publication of this 
decree of six Mexican officers captured by the French, 
aroused a general feeling of horror, and had the effect 
of strengthening the Emperor's enemies and of weak- 
ening his own party. 

In 1866 the Emperor Napoleon, in consideration of 
the urgent representations of the United States Gov- 
20 



306 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

ernment, and the discontent of his own people, who 
had grown heartily sick of the enterprise, agreed to 
ignore his treaty and to withdraw his troops from 
Mexico. Realizing to the full what was likely to 
result from this cold-blooded act of desertion, the 
Empress Carlotta hastened to Europe and made the 
most passionate personal appeals to the Emperor to 
abide by his promises. Failing entirely with him, she 
next went to Rome to implore the intervention of the 
Pope, and it was on this journey that the first symp- 
toms of the insanity that shortly afterwards destroyed 
her reason appeared. The cause has been some- 
times ascribed to poison, which it was thought had 
been administered in Mexico ; but the strain and anx- 
iety to which she had been subjected were quite enough 
in themselves to unsettle her mind. 

Maximilian meantime was struggling with a situa- 
tion that every moment became more desperate. In 
March, 1867, the Emperor, with a small force, was 
surrounded at Queretaro by the Republican army. 
By the middle of May the place was so reduced by 
famine that a sortie was planned for the night of the 
14th. The plan was betrayed by the Mexican General 
Lopez, who had turned traitor. This man was on the 
closest terms of intimacy with the Emperor, who re- 
garded him with peculiar affection and confidence. 
His high position in the Imperial councils enabled him 
easily to admit the enemy into the town and to put 
them into complete possession of the defences. The 



EMPEROE MAXIMILIAN'S EXECUTION. 307 

Emperor and his staff were captured, and a month 
later, after being subjected to a form of court-martial, 
" Maximilian, the Archduke of Austria, and the so- 
called Generals Miramon and Mejia," were condemned 
to be shot. 

a The court-martial was convened on the 13th of 
June, in the theatre of Iturbide. The court occupied 
the stage, while the house was filled to overflowing 
with spectators. The Emperor, however, did not ap- 
pear before the court. He said, ' If I am to be con- 
demned, my presence or absence will make no differ- 
ence.' " 

Early on the morning of the 19th of June the 
Emperor and the two generals were shot at the foot 
of a hill called the Hill of the Bells, about a mile 
from Queretaro — the same spot where they had been 
captured. 

Earnest efforts were made by his physician and 
some of the foreign Ministers to obtain the Emperor's 
body, in order to send it back to Austria ; but this 
Juarez absolutely refused to allow, and it was not till 
the month of November, when the Austrian Admiral 
Tegethoff presented a formal request to that effect, 
from the Emperor Francis Joseph to "the President of 
Mexico," that the latter consented to permit the re- 
mains to be removed from the San Andres Hospital, 
in the city of Mexico, where they had been deposited. 

The Novara, the same ship which had brought 
Maximilian and Carlotta to Mexico three years before, 



308 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

lay at Vera Cruz, waiting to receive all that re- 
mained of the unfortunate Prince. The coffin was 
placed upon a bier in the centre of the saloon ; at the 
head an improvised altar was arranged ; and, sur- 
rounded by lighted candles, and attended night and 
day by a guard of honor, it was conveyed across the 
ocean. On nearing the Austrian coast, the Xovara 
was met by a Government fleet and escorted into port, 
and the body was interred with solemn pomp in the 
vault of the Capuchin Church in Vienna. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Sunday in Vienna — Music in the Churches— Fashionable Attrac- 
tions—Character of the "Audiences" — Mile. Murska at the 
Minorites — Afternoon and Evening Concerts — Why is Vienna 
the Most Musical City of the World ? — Mozart Forced to Seek 
Appreciation in Prague — First Production of " Le Nozze di 
Figaro " — The Rehearsals — The Singers Strike on the First 
Night — Reception of the Opera in Prague — Birth and Child- 
hood of Mozart — Presented at Court at the Age of Six — Marie 
Antoinette— The Archbishop of Salzburg — Mozart's Position in 
the Archbishop's Household— Marries Constance Weber — His 
Appearance — Poverty and Struggles— Court Appointment — 
Small Pay and Large Promises— Mozart's Disinterestedness — 
Prodigies of Work— The " Requiem "—Illness and Death— 
" Papa Haydn "—His Love for Mozart— His Birth and Early 
Training — Receives an Appointment from Prince Esterhazy— 
Gets Rid of his Wife — His Tranquil Life — Journeys to England 
— Old Age — "God Save the Emperor !"— Death — His Standing 
in Art — Gliick the "Father of German Opera" — Early Experi- 
ences — Influence of Calzabigi and Rameau — Transition Period — 
Goes to Paris — Marie Antoinette a Former Pupil — Returns to 
Vienna — Nervousness — Unhappiness — Death — Gl lick's Portrait 
by Duplessis. 

By the native of the Continent the London Sun- 
day is said to be accounted the most depressing 
experience that life has to offer. The Viennese 
Sunday, on the contrary, seems to be ordered ex- 
pressly with a view to the enjoyment of unlimited 

309 



310 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

gaiety and dissipation. All the shops and factories 
are closed, work is entirely suspended, and one sees 
only people in holiday attire. The hotel chamber- 
maid emerges in a white bonnet with pink ribbons ; 
the industrious little woman who has the cigar shop 
at the corner dons her solitary silk gown, and proudly 
displays the portrait of her husband, made into a 
lar^e brooch. Bv the middle of the afternoon the 
whole town has put its house-key under its door-mat, 
and is off to the various pleasure resorts, purposing to 
crown the day's enjoyment by eating the evening meal 
in a restaurant. From morn till night there is a suc- 
cession of material pleasures, with a running accom- 
paniment of spiritual harmonies; a chorus of church- 
bells and of tinkling wine-glasses, sacred music and 
the rattle of dishes, psalms chanted, with a refrain of 
street songs. One realizes on that day especially that 
Vienna stands at the threshold of Italy and of the 
Orient. The winds that blow through that halt-open 
door quicken her senses, and fill her people with a 
passionate love of music, motion, pleasure, sensuous 
life. The gorgeous ceremonies of the Church are 
spectacles which work upon their emotions ; but they 
are nothing more. People attend the Mass as they 
would attend a musical matinee, and the programme 
is carefnllv published in the newspapers of the even- 
ing before. On Saturday one frequently overhears 
in some cafe such dialogues as the following: 
"Where are you going to Mass to-morrow?'' 



The Karls Kirche 




V 



MUSIC IN THE VIENNA CHURCHES. 31 1 

"I have not the least idea. Gary on ! the Presse." 

The waiter brings the paper, and after a careful ex- 
amination of the list of announcements for the following 

day, it is ascertained that the Baroness de VT is 

advertised to chant the Sanctus at the Augustines ; so 
it is decided to go to hear her. 

At the Burg Chapel, the Church of the Augus- 
tines, the Votif Kirche and the Karls Kirche 1 the 
music is selected from the works of the great com- 
posers, and is carefully rendered. Every one has his 
or her especial church in the same sense as one might 
have his or her favorite theatre. 

Piety at the Augustines wears white kid gloves and 
silk attire. It is the same audience that one sees at 
the opera, the real music-lovers of Vienna ; and they 
come to hear an offertory or a Gloria, sung by the 

Baroness de Z , or Mile. B , members of the 

opera company, with a clarionet accompaniment by 

M. F . On great festivals the chorus is, or was, 

sometimes composed of society women, members of 
the aristocracy. As soon as the solo begins every one 
turns his back, so to speak, upon God, and faces the 
charming performer, who, albeit perched up on high, 
contrives so to place herself that the admiring throng 
below may not lose the play of her fine eyes, which 
she rolls effectively as an accompaniment to her trills. 

1 The church erected in what is now the Wieden district by the 
Emperor Charles VI., after plans by Fischer von Erlach, to com- 
memorate the cessation of the plague in 1716. 



312 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

One would never suspect that he was in a church. 
Occasionally there is heard a muttered bravo, bravis- 
simo, amid the murmurs of sehr gut or tres-bien. Some 
of the listeners keep time with their feet, and others 
hum the air below their breath. Close by a languish- 
ing fine lady exclaims aloud, " Oh, admirable \" 
Nothing is needed to complete the picture but two 
or three men in the act of lighting: their cigars. AVhen 
at length the soloist gives her final trill, and the clar- 
ionet sounds its closing note, the entire company 
saunters out, leaving the priest alone at his neglected 
altar. 

On one occasion, when the Italian Opera was in 
Vienna, the congregation at the Church of the Mino- 
rites, frequented mainly by Italians, ranged itself in 
two compact masses on either side of the entrance, un- 
covering as Mademoiselle Murska, who had just sung 
a magnificent solo, passed down between them, her 
long red-gold hair floating about her shoulders, and 
with the same pretty, modest air which made her 
rendering of the part of " Marguerite " surely one of 
the most satisfactory impersonations that has ever 
been seen on the stage. 

All the church-going public may be seen again on 
Sunday afternoon or evening at the Cursalon, the 
Casino, the Horticultural Society building, or at one 
or another of the innumerable cafes or restaurants, 
where concerts are given. The music of the military 
bands is excellent, and many of them have their colors 



MOZART— REHEARSALS OF "FIGARO." 313 

hung all over with the medals and decorations they 
have won. 

Vienna has held its place as the most musical city 
in the world for more than a century and a half— just 
why it is not very easy to determine. At no time 
have the emoluments offered by the Viennese patrons 
of art been liberal enough to account for the prefer- 
ence given to the Austrian capital by musical geniuses. 
Nor has the Viennese public, with all its undoubted 
love of music, ever been a discriminating one. Again 
and again did Mozart, utterly heart-sick and discour- 
aged by the failure of the Viennese to appreciate his 
work, carry it elsewhere, notably to Prague. In the 
spring of 1786, when " Le Nozze di Figaro" was 
about to be produced, Mozart's father writes to his 
daughter, from Vienna : 

" The first stage rehearsal of ' Le Nozze di Figaro ' 
will take place on the 28th. It will be fortunate if 
the opera succeeds, for I know that there are im- 
mensely strong intrigues against it. Salieri and all 
his tribe will move heaven and earth to put it 
down." 

A young Irishman, Michael Kelly, a pupil of 
Aprile, who was in Vienna with Stephen Storace and 
his sister, gives an account of the first rehearsal : 

" I remember Mozart was on the stage, with his 
crimson pelisse and gold-laced cocked hat, giving the 
time of the music to the orchestra. Figaro's song, 
' Non piu andrai, farfallone amoroso,' Benucci gave 



314 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

with the greatest animation and power of voice. I 
was standing close to Mozart, who, sotto voce, was re- 
peating, ' Bravo, bravo, Benucci ! ' and when Benucci 
came to the fine passage, ' Cherubino, alia vittoria, 
alia gloria militar/ which he gave out with stentorian 
lungs, the effect was electricity itself, for the whole of 
the performers on the stage, and those in the orches- 
tra, as if actuated by one feeling of delight, vociferated 
1 Bravo! bravo! Maestro. Viva! Viva grande Mo- 
zart ! ' Those in the orchestra I thought would never 
have ceased applauding, by beating the bows of their 
violins against the music desks. The little man 
acknowledged, by repeated obeisances, his thanks for 
the distinguished marks of enthusiastic applause be- 
stowed upon him." 

There were in Vienna at this time a quite extra- 
ordinary number of musical celebrities, and there is 
no reason to doubt that the first performance of 
" Figaro " was listened to by Haydn, Gluck, Paesiello, 
Storace, Salieri, Righini, Anfossi, and others. Not- 
withstanding the enthusiastic reception given to the 
new opera at the rehearsals, on the first night, at the 
close of the first act, a number of the performers sud- 
denly struck and refused to return to the stage. 
Mozart, frantic at the prospect of failure for a work 
upon which he had built such high hopes, rushed to 
the Emperor's box, and in great agitation explained 
the situation. Joseph at once sent an order that there 
was no disobeying, and the performance proceeded. 



SUCCESS OF "FIGARO" IN PRAGUE. 315 

Although the audience showed a certain amount of 
enthusiasm, the net results were so discouraging, 
that, after the third night, Mozart declared that never 
again would he attempt to bring out an opera in 
Vienna. 

Nine months later (February, 1787) the composer 
went to Prague, on the invitation of Count Thurn, an 
enlightened and liberal connoisseur. On the night 
of his arrival " Figaro " was given. 

" The news of his presence in the theatre quickly 
ran through the parterre, and the overture was no 
sooner ended than the whole audience rose and gave 
him a general acclamation of welcome, amid deafening 
salvos of applause. 

" The success of ' Le Nozze di Figaro/ so unsatis- 
factory at Vienna, was unexampled at Prague, where 
it amounted to absolute intoxication and frenzy. Hav- 
ing ran through the whole previous winter without 
interruption and rescued the treasury of the theatre 
from ruinous embarrassments, the opera was arranged 
in every possible form — for the pianoforte, for wind 
instruments (garden music), as violin quintettes for 
the chamber, and German dances ; in short, the melo- 
dies of ' Figaro ' re-echoed in every street and every 
garden ; nay, even the blind harper himself, at the 
door of the beer-house, was obliged to strike up ' Non 
piu andrai/ if he wished to gain an audience or earn 
a kreutzer. . . . The director of the orchestra, Stro- 
bach, under whose superintendence ' Figaro ' was 



316 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

executed at Prague, often declared the excitement and 
emotion of the band in accompanying this work to 
have been such that there was not a man among them, 
himself included, who, when the performance was 
finished, would not have cheerfully recommenced and 
played the whole through again. " i 

Finding the Bohemians so favorably disposed 
towards him, Mozart arranged to give a concert in 
the opera house, in which every piece was to be of his 
own composition. 

" The concert ended by an improvisation on the 
pianoforte. Having preluded and played a fantasia, 
which lasted a good half-hour, Mozart rose ; but the 
stormy and outrageous applause of his Bohemian 
audience was not to be appeased, and he again sat 
down. His second fantasia, which was of an entirely 
different character, met with the same success. The 
applause was without end, and long after he had 
retired to the withdrawing room he heard the people 
in the theatre thundering for his reappearance. In- 
wardly delighted, he presented himself for the third 
time. Just as he was about to begin, when every 
noise was hushed and the stillness of death reigned 
throughout the theatre, a voice in the pit cried t From 
Figaro ! ? He took the hint, and ended his triumphant 
display of skill by extemporizing a dozen of the most 
interesting and scientific variations upon the air ' Xon 
piu andrai.' 

1 Life of Jlozart. Edward Holmes. 



BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF MOZART. 317 

" It is needless to mention the uproar that followed. 
The concert was altogether found so delightful that a 
second, upon the same plan, soon followed. A sonnet 
was written in his honor, and his performances 
brought him one thousand florins [about four hundred 
and twenty dollars !]. Wherever he appeared in pub- 
lic, it was to meet testimonies of esteem and affection. 
His emotion at the reception of ' Figaro ' in Prague 
was so great that he could not help saying to the 
manager, Bondiui, ' As the Bohemians understand me 
so well, I must write an opera on purpose for them.' 
Bondini took him at his word and entered with him 
on the spot into a contract to furnish his theatre with 
an opera for the ensuing winter. Thus was laid the 
foundation of ' II Don Giovanni/ " l 

Mozart, whose Christian names were John Chrysos- 
tom Wolfgang Amadeus, was born in 1756 at Salz- 
burg, where his father held the singular post of 
" valet musician " to the Archbishop. Of a number 
of children, Wolfgang and a sister, five years his 
senior, were the only ones to grow up. 

In addition to his official duties, the elder Mozart 
gave lessons on the clavier and violin. He published 
a number of his own compositions and a method for 
the violin, which gained a high reputation throughout 
Europe. 

Under his direction the musical education of the two 
children advanced rapidly. Maria began her studies 

1 Life of Mozart. 



318 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

at seven, and became a brilliant and widely-known 
performer on the piano. Wolfgang imbibed his first 
knowledge of music from listening; to his sister's les- 
sons, and showed such aptitude that, when he was four 
years old, his father began to give him regular instruc- 
tion. His progress was so remarkable that, two years 
later the family set out on a professional tour, in the 
course of which the brother and sister gave public 
performances, and were overwhelmed with attentions 
from all manner of distinguished personages. Their 
fame preceded them, and soon after reaching Vienna 
an introduction to the Empress (Maria Theresa) was 
arranged. The proud father writes to a friend in 
Salzburg : 

"At present I have not time to say more than that 
we were so graciously received by both their Majes- 
ties that my relation would be held for a fable. 
Woferl sprang into the lap of the Empress, took her 
round the neck and kissed her very heartily. We were 
there from three to six o'clock, and the Emperor him- 
self came into the ante-chamber to fetch me in to hear 
the child play on the violin. Yesterday, Theresa's 
day, the Empress sent us, through her private treas- 
urer, who drove up in state before the door of our 
dwelling, two robes — one for the boy, the other for 
the girl. The private treasurer always fetches them 
to Court/' 

A few days later, however, the father got a great 
fright. 



MOZART AS ORGANIST AT SALZBURG. 319 

"On the 21st, at seven in the evening, we were with 
the Empress, on which occasion Woferl was not him- 
self, and soon after exhibited a sort of scarlet eruption. 
Pray get read three holy masses to Loretto, and three 
to the holy Francis de Paula." 

It was a month before the universal fear of anything 
that might develop into small-pox permitted the chil- 
dren again to appear in public. 

It was during this visit that an incident occurred 
that links the name of Mozart with that of the ill- 
fated wife of Louis XVI. While playing with two 
of the little Archduchesses in the Burg one day the boy 
tripped and fell. Marie Antoinette, though very little 
older than himself, helped him to get up, and was very 
sympathetic, while her sister showed complete indiffer- 
ence. Mozart thereupon announced to the great 
Empress that he was ready to marry her daughter out 
of gratitude for her kind heart. 

Until he was twenty-five Mozart's home was, nomi- 
nally at least, with his father at Salzburg, though much 
of his time was spent in professional tours ; there was 
also a somewhat lengthy stay in Paris, where he 
thought of settling. 

In 1779, however, at the urgent solicitation of his 
father, he accepted the appointment of Court and Cath- 
edral organist at Salzburg, a poor position, involving 
hard work and small pay, and in the gift of the Arch- 
bishop, whom he already had reason heartily to dislike. 

Two years later he was ordered to Vienna in the 



320 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

train of the Archbishop, and as a member of his 
household. The estimation in which he was held by 
this prelate is shown by the following passages in a 
letter, written to his father, describing his first day in 
Vienna : 

" Dinner was served at half-past eleven in the fore- 
noon, which was for me, unfortunately, rather too early, 
and there sat down to it the two valets in attendance, 
the controller, Herr Zetti, the confectioner, two cooks, 
Ceccarelli, Brimetti, and my littleness. The two valets 
sat at the head of the table, and I had the honor to be 
placed at least above the cooks. . . . There is no table 
in the evening, but each has three ducats, with which 
you know one may do a great deal ! Our excellent 
Archbishop glorifies himself with his people, receives 
their services, and pays them nothing in return. 

" Yesterday we had music at four o'clock, and there 
were about twenty persons of the highest rank present. 
Ceccarelli has already had to sing at PaLf^s. "We go 
to Prince Gallitzin to-day, who was one of the party of 
yesterday. I shall now wait to see if I get anything; 
if not, I shall go at once to the Archbishop, and tell 
him without reserve that, if he will not allow me to 
earn anything, he must pay me, for I cannot live upon 
my own money." 

A few months later he left the service of the Arch- 
bishop, and from thenceforth lived in Vienna, depend- 
ent for the most part upon his own resources. In 1782 
he obtained his father's consent (which, though twenty- 



MOZART MARRIES CONSTANCE WEBER. 321 

six years of age, he evidently considered necessary) to 
his marriage with Constance Weber. His bride, to 
whom he was devotedly attached, was a younger sister 
of Aloysia Weber, a singer of some fame, with whom 
Mozart had fallen deeply in love a number of years 
before. She was supposed to return his affection, and 
the two families expected that a match would be 
arranged. On his return from Paris, however, the 
young lady, who was only seventeen, had changed 
her mind. Long after Mozart's death and her own 
unhappy marriage, she declared that in those early 
days she had no conception of her lover's genius; he 
appeared to her "just a little man." Her greatest suc- 
cesses on the operatic stage were won when singing his 
music. 

The young Irishman, whose account of the rehearsal 
of " Le Nozze di Figaro " was given above, describes 
his first meeting with Mozart, about two years after 
his marriage : " I went one evening to a concert of the 
celebrated Kozeluch's, . . . and was there introduced 
to that prodigy of genius, Mozart. . . . We sat down- 
to supper, and I had the pleasure to be placed between 
him and his wife, Madame Constance Weber, a Ger- 
man lady of whom he was passionately fond. . . . 
He was a remarkably small man, very thin and pale, 
with a profusion of fine, fair hair, of which he was 
rather vain." 

The history of Mozart's short life — he was not thirty- 
six when he died — is a record of struggles and disap- 
21 



322 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

pointnients. The demands of a growing family and a 
delicate wife, who, moreover, was a remarkably poor 
manager, kept him constantly in debt, and the ungrate- 
ful Court and Viennese public cared not the least how 
near starvation he came, so long as lie continued to 
luce his marvelous works, and to shed a glory 
d their capital by his presence. All his life long 
he was expecting a Court appointment that might at 
least insure him a living. Offers came from other 
countries and were refused for this will-o'-the-wisp. 

T yards the end of the year 1787 the Emperor 
Joseph, disturbed by rumors that Mozart might be 
driven to abandon Vienna, gave him an appointment 
— Chamber Composer to the Court — with a salary of 
something under four hundred dollars a year. There 
were, however, glittering intimations of great, though 
ssibilities for the uiture. 

Two years later the King of Prnssi 1 Mozart 

a p siti d at Berlin, with a _ I salary. Mozart 
hesitated. 

•• I am fond of Vienna," said he. " I care little for 
mon ■-•;.-."' 

Finally, however, the desperate state of his affairs 
decided him to accept, and he went to the Ernperor to 
give in his resignation and to say farewell. Joseph 
was piqued and irritated. 

" My dear Mozart." he exclaimed, ''will you leave 

Mozart, much moved by this touching proof of the 



MOZART'S LAST WORKS— THE "REQUIEM." 323 

esteem in which he was held, at once reversed his de- 
cision, and left the Burg, full of gratitude and affec- 
tion for his good Emperor. 

"At least," said one of his friends, to whom he 
described the interview, " you stipulated for a position 
that would enable you to live." 

Mozart was deeply annoyed. 

"Satan himself," said he, "would hardly have 
thought of bargaining at such a moment." 

The year 1791, the closing year of Mozart's life, 
Avas one of extraordinary productiveness. The " Zau- 
bernote," the "Clemenza di Tito," a quantity of minor 
pieces — minuets, waltzes and others — and the "Re- 
quiem," which so strangely affected his last days, were 
all written at that period. In Xovember his illness, 
which had been rapidly increasing, obliged him to 
take to his bed, where, however, he still continued to 
work on the " Requiem." On the afternoon of De- 
cember 5th several of his friends came to see him, 
and at his request they stood around his bed, singing 
the "Requiem," Mozart himself taking the alto; but' 
at the first bar of the Lacrymosa he broke down and 
began to weep. His visitors left, and the same night 
he died. 

His funeral was of the simplest description. Xo 
stone or tablet marked his grave in the Marxer Sinie 
Cemetery, and in a few years the very site was lost. 

The harassed and troubled life of Mozart, con- 
stantly hampered by debts, which his enormous and 



324 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

unremitting labor could never avail to throw off, sur- 
rounded by enmities and jealousies, and with the 
ever-recurring bitterness of deferred hopes and frus- 
trated dreams, contrasts strikingly with the calm 
seclusion of the existence which Haydn was at the 
same time pursuing, under the sheltering patronage 
of Prince Esterhazy. 

Between the two men there existed a strong friend- 
ship, founded on a generous mutual appreciation. 
"Papa Haydn" and "My Mozart" they affection- 
ately termed one another. 

" Oh, papa," cries Mozart, anxiously, when Haydn 
was preparing to accompany Solomons to England in 
1790, "you are not educated for the wide world, and 
you do not know any foreign language- !" 

" My language," says Haydn, with his gentle smile, 
"is understood all over the world." 

Three years before this Haydn iiad written : " I 
only wish I could impress on every friend of music, 
and on great men in particular, the same deep mu- 
sical sympathy and profound appreciation which I 
myself feel for Mozart's inimitable music. Then 
nations would vie with each other to possess such a 
jewel within their frontiers. It enrages me to think 
that the unparalleled Mozart is not yet engaged at 
any Imperial Court ! Forgive my excitement ; I love 
the man so dearly." 

Sixteen years after Mozart's death Haydn could 
still not hear him spoken of without emotion. " For- 



HAYDN-BIRTH AND EARLY TRAINING. 325 

give me/' he cries, one day, when the mention of his 
friend's name had upset his self-control; "I must 
ever, ever weep at the name of my Mozart !" 

"Papa Haydn" was born in 1732, in the village of 
Pohrau, about thirty miles from Vienna, and close to 
the Hungarian border. His parents were in humble 
circumstances, and gladly accepted the offer of a rela- 
tive named Franck to take the boy, then six years 
old, and instruct him in music, for which he had 
already shown an aptitude. 

About three years later he was carried off to Vienna 
by the Capettmeister of St. Stephan's Cathedral, and 
established there as a chorister. This position he 
lost when his voice changed, and for a time he had a 
hard struggle to live. The Italian musician Porpora 
was in Vienna, in the household of the Venetian 
Ambassador, and from him Haydn received valuable 
instruction, in return for all manner of little personal 
services ; while a wig-maker named Keller, who had 
greatly admired his singing when he was in the 
Cathedral choir, took him into his house and let 
him live there, free of charge, until his circumstances 
improved and he could hire a lodging for himself. 
He early attracted the attention of the director of the 
theatre, who promptly engaged him to compose the 
music for a comic opera, "The Devil on Two Sticks." 
Next he came under the notice of that liberal patron 
of music, Prince Anthony Esterhazy, who made him 
second professor of music in his orchestra. 



326 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

On the death of the old Prince, Haydn was re- 
tained by his son, Prince Nicholas Esterhazy, and for 
thirty years he led the most placid of existences at 
Eisenstadt, on the Esterhazy estates. 

" Haydn rose early, dressed himself very neatly, 
and placed himself at a small table by the side of his 
pianoforte, where the hour of dinner usually found 
him still seated. In the evening he went to the 
rehearsals, or to the opera, which was performed in 
the Prince's palace four times every week. Some- 
times, but not often, he devoted a morning to hunt- 
ing. The little time which he had to spare was 
divided between his friends and Signora Boselli " [a 
singer in the Esterhazy Opera]. * 

His position was not, however, a sinecure. Every 
morning he was expected to present his patron with a 
new composition, and the number of his works has 
been estimated at nine hundred and ninety, including 
one hundred and eighteen symphonies, eighty-two 
quartets, and twenty-two operas and oratorios. 

Before he had entirely settled down into this 
tranquil and well-ordered existence, he had gone 
through the trying experience of an ill-assorted mar- 
riage. The wio-maker Keller, who had so kindly 
taken him in when he was friendless and homeless, 
unfortunately had a daughter, to whom Haydn, in the 
thoughtlessness of youth, became engaged. When he 

1 Review of The Lives of Haydn and Mozart, Quarterly Review 
for 1817. 



HAYDN'S OLD AGE. 327 

was in a position to support a wife, there was nothing 
for it but to fulfill this obligation, and for a time the 
two lived together in acute unhappiness. Then 
Haydn broke away. He continued to support his 
wife, but declined absolutely to ruin his prospects by 
living in the same house with her. 

It was after the death of Prince Esterhazy, in 
1790, that Haydn made his visits to England — visits 
which materially increased both his fame and his for- 
tune. By 1795 we find him once more in Vienna, 
and still hard at work. The " Creation " and the 
" Seasons " were written at this time, and with the sale 
of the scores he bought a small house and garden, 
where he settled down to pass the remainder of his 
days in peace and retirement. 

"At the extremity of one of the suburbs of 
Vienna, on the side of the Imperial park of Schon- 
brunn, you find a small, unpaved street, so little fre- 
quented that it is covered with grass. About the 
middle rises an humble dwelling, surrounded by per- 
petual silence. You knock at the door ; it is opened 
to you, with a cheerful smile, by a little old woman, 
his housekeeper. You ascend a short flight of wooden 
stairs, and find, in the second chamber of a very 
simple apartment, a tranquil old man, sitting at a 
desk, absorbed in the painful sentiment that life is 
escaping from him, and so complete a nonentity with 
respect to everything besides, that he stands in need 
of visitors to recall to him what he has once been. 



328 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

AVhen he sees any one enter, a pleasing smile appears 
upon his lips, a tear moistens his eyes, his counte- 
nance recovers its animation, his voice becomes clear, 
he recognizes his guest, and talks to him of his early 
years, of which he has a much better recollection than 
of his latter ones. You think that the artist still 
exists ; but soon he relapses before your eyes into his 
habitual state of lethargy and sadness. 7 ' l 

" The eighteenth century was closing in, dark with 
storms, and the wave of revolution had burst in all its 
fury over France, casting its bloody spray upon the 
surrounding nations. From his little cottage near 
Vienna Haydn watched the course of events. Like 
many other princes of art, he was no politician, but his 
affection for his country lay deep, and his loyalty to 
the Emperor Francis was warm; die hymn, 'God 
Save the Emperor,' so exquisitely treated in the 
seventy-seventh quartet, remained his favorite melody; 
it seemed to have acquired a certain sacredness in his 
eyes in an age when kings were beheaded and their 
crowns tossed to a rabble. ... In 1802 his two last 
quartets appeared. A third he was forced to leave un- 
finished ; over it is written — 

* Hin ist alle meine Kraft. 
Alt and schwach bin Ich '. ' 

" He was now seventv years old. and seldom left his 
room. On summer days he would linger in the gar- 

1 Bombet's Life of Havdn. 



DEATH OF HAYDN. 329 

den. Friends came to see him, and found him often 
in a profound melancholy. He tells us, however, that 
God frequently revived his courage ; indeed, his whole 
life is marked by a touching and simple faith, which 
did not forsake him in his old age. He considered 
his art a religious thing, aud constantly wrote at the 
beginning of his works, ' In nomine Domini/ or ' Soli 
Deo gloria/ and at the end 'Laus Deo/ 

" In 1809 Vienna was bombarded by the French. 
A round-shot fell into his garden. He seemed to be 
in no alarm, but on May 25 he requested to be led to 
his piano, and three times over he played the l Hymn 
to the Emperor/ with an emotion that fairly overcame 
both himself and those who heard him. He was to 
play no more ; and being helped back to his couch, he 
lay down in extreme exhaustion to wait for the end. 
Six days afterwards, May 31, 1809, died Francis 
Joseph Haydn, aged seventy-seven. He lies buried in 
the cemetery of Gumpfendorfe, Vienna. . . . 

" Haydn is valuable in the history of art, not only as 
a brilliant, but also as a complete artist. Perhaps, with 
the exception of Goethe and Wordsworth, there is no 
equally remarkable instance of a man who was so per- 
mitted to work out all that was in him. His life was 
a rounded whole ; . . . good old Haydn came into 
port over a calm sea, and after a prosperous voyage. 
The laurel wreath was this time woven about silver 
locks ; the gathered-in harvest was ripe and golden." l 
l H. R. Haweis, in the Contemporary Beuieic, 1S68. 



330 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Twelve years before this another of Haydn's great 
contemporaries had died in Vienna. Christopher 
"Willibad Gliick, the father of German opera, was born 
in 1714. His father was a gamekeeper on the estate 
of Prince Lobkowitz, and the boy was educated in a 
Jesuit college. After spending some years in Prague, 
as organist and chorister in the Convent of St. Agnes, 
besides filling any engagements to play the violin that 
came in his way, he took the usual step of going to 
Vienna in search of means to carry on his musical edu- 
cation. Through his father's master, Prince Lobko- 
witz, he was brought to the notice of an Italian con- 
noisseur, Prince Melzi, whom he accompanied to Italy. 

When he was forty-eight years old Gliick fell in 
with Calzabigi. He had by this time become disgusted 
with the school of Italian opera, to which his work had 
for the most part been hitherto confined. 

"Passing through Paris [about 1748] Gliick heard 
for the first time the French operas of Rameau ; he 
received a new element, aud one sadly wanting to the 
Italian opera — the dramatic declamation of recitative. 
This was the one element that France contributed to 
the formation of the opera as now existing. We ob- 
serve, therefore, three sources from which this com- 
poser derived the elements of his own system. His 
early training in Italy determined the importance which 
he ever afterwards attached to pure melody. His subse- 
quent acquaintance with France taught him the value 
of dramatic declamation. Germanv ^ave him har- 



GLUCK, "FATHER OF GERMAN OPERA." 331 

mony, a more careful study of the orchestra, and that 
philosophical spirit which enabled him to lay the foun- 
dation of the distinctive German opera." l 

There follows accordingly a transition period of 
some twelve years, during which such works as " Tele- 
maceo " and " II Ee Pastore " were produced with 
more or less success. Then came the meeting with 
Calzabigi, and Gliick, with this masterly librettoist for 
collaborator, emerged into his perfected style in 
" Orpheus and Eurydice " and " Alceste." 

In 1774 Gliick determined to go to Paris. The 
directors of the Freneh opera urged him to come, and 
his former pupil, Marie Antoinette, now Dauphiness, 
was ready and eager to welcome and applaud him. 
Notwithstanding the pronounced and active rivalry 
of the Italian school, the six years Gliick spent 
in Paris were, on the whole, successful ones. He 
had some failures and disappointments, but he had 
likewise many triumphs; and when, in 1780, he de- 
termined to return and pass the remainder of his 
days in Vienna, he had made enough money to sup- 
port him in comfort. 

" . . . But he does not appear to have been happy 
in his old age. Nervous maladies, long kept off by 
dint of sheer excitement and incessant labor, seemed 
now to grow upon him rapidly. He had always been 
fond of wine, but at a time when his system was least 
able to bear it he began to substitute brandy. The 

1 Gliick and Haydn. II. It. Iliuveis. 



332 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

very thought of action, after his recent failure in Paris 
[' Echo and Narcissus, 5 which fell flat], filled him 
with disgust. He did nothing ; but his inactivity was 
not repose, and the fire which had been a shiniDg 
light for so many years, now, in its smouldering em- 
bers, seemed to waste and consume him inwardly. 

" His wife, who was ever on the watch, succeeded 
in keeping stimulants away from the poor old man 
for weeks together. But one day a friend came to 
dine. After dinner, cotfee was handed round and 
liqueurs were placed upon the table. The temptation 
was too strong. Gliick seized the bottle of brandy, 
and, before his wife could stop him, he had drained 
its contents. That night he fell down in a fit of 
apoplexy, and he died November 25th. 1787, aged 
seventy-three. . . . 

" M. Felix Clement is facetious on the subject of 
the intemperance which marked the tailing yea: - : 
a man whose nerves had been shattered by hard 
work and the excitement inseparable from his voca- 
tion. "We prefer to recall one who, in the midst of 
an immoral Court, remained personally pure, and who, 
in an age of flippant atheism, retained to the last his 
trust in Providence and his reverence for religion." ' 

In the early part of the article just quoted, a 
portrait of Gliick, painted by Duplessis. is thus de- 
scribed : 

" . . . He is looking straight out of the canvas, 

1 Gluck and Haydn. H. E. Haweis. 



DUPLESSIS'S PORTRAIT OF GLUCK. 333 

with wide and eager eyes ; his nostril a little dis- 
tended, as of one eager to reply ; his mouth shut, but 
evidently on the point of hastily opening. The noble 
brow and pronounced temples carry off the large 
development of the cheek-bone, and slightly heavy, 
though firm and expressive nose. The attitude is one 
of noble and expectant repose, but has in it all 
the suggestion of resolute and even fiery action. 
' Madame/ said he, drawing himself up to his full 
height and addressing Marie Antoinette, then Dau- 
phiness, who inquired after his opera of 'Armida/ 
' Madame, il est bientot fini, et vraiment ce sera 
superbe ! , These words might be written at the foot 
of Duplessis's picture ; they evidently express one of 
Gluck's most characteristic moods. " 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Beethoven and Mozart— Beethoven's Obstinacy as a Child— His 
Intercourse with Haydn— Princely Patrons and Small Pay — 
The '''Immortal Beloved "—A Music Lesson and its Conse- 
quences—Count Franz— Visits to Montauvasar— The Countess 
von Brunswick's Secret — Giulietta Guicciardi— The "Moon- 
light Sonata"— Peter von Cornelius's Recollection of the 
Countess— An Awakeniug— " Fidelio "—A Secret Betrothal— 
The Letter to the " Immortal Beloved "—The Portrait— A 
Stormy Engagement— Separation— A Visit from Baron Treinont 
— Beethoveu's Establishment in Vienna— Improvisation— Beeth- 
oven's Tastes— His Death — Immortelles — Beethoven and Schu- 
bert—Schubert's Struggle for Existence— The Poet Vogl— A 
Tour— The Songs— Death— A Link Between Beethoven an.l 
Liszt— Liszt Abandons Vienna for Paris— Weimar — The Bay- 
reuth Festivals— Modern Musical Celebrities — Dr. Johannes 
Brahms — Herr Johann Strauss— Musical Career of his Father 
— Banner and the Elder Strauss — Edaard Strauss — The Passion 
for Waltzing Among the Viennese— Balls of Sixty-five Years 
Ago— The Cab Drivers' Ball— Partners for Hire. 

In the winter of 17SG-7, when Mozart's fame bad 
been greatly spread abroad by- the " Xozze di Figaro," 
and when he was giving a series of brilliant concerts 
in Vienna, there arrived there a stranger youth, of 
seventeen or thereabouts, who was mightily anxious to 
take lessons from the great master. Mozart told him 
to play something, and, after listening a few minutes, 

334 



Beethoven Monument 



BEETHOVEN— INTERCOURSE WITH HAYDN. 335 

gave him a certain motif y with instructions to impro- 
vise upon it. The youth complied, and, as he warmed 
to his task, Mozart suddenly turned to those who 
were present, saying, " Note this young man well, for 
some day he will make a noise in the world. " 

Although Mozart thus early recognized the genius 
of Beethoven, the latter was by no means the youthful 
prodigy that he himself had been. Beethoven devel- 
oped slowly ; he was excessively obstinate, and it is 
told that when, as a child, he had been forcibly driven 
to the piano, it was often impossible to make him stay 
there. 

Ludwig von Beethoven was a native of Bonn, 
where his father was a member of the Elector's 
band. He was born in December, 1770, and on the 
occasion of his meeting with Mozart was merely visit- 
ing Vienna. A year after the latter' s death he came 
to the capital to live. Haydn was then conducting 
some of his new symphonies — it was the interval 
between his two visits to England — and Beethoven 
had some lessons from him in counterpoint ; but there- 
was little sympathy between the two men, and Beeth- 
oven was wont to declare later that he never got 
anything from Haydn. " He never would correct my 
mistakes." . 

The leading connoisseurs of Vienna soon recog- 
nized the great ability of the young stranger, and 
with so distinguished a name as that of the Cardinal 
Archduke Rudolph, brother of the Emperor Francis, 



33G VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

on the list of his pupils, it was not difficult for him 
to get employment. It is notorious, however, that 
Vienna, while immensely proud of numbering so 
many great musicians among her residents, has never, 
until quite recently, given them a decent support. 

Beethoven accordingly, though highly thought of 
and much sought after, at last told the Cardinal Arch- 
duke that he saw nothing for it but to leave Vienna 
in order to make a living. 

The Archduke was dismayed. Lose their Beetho- 
ven ! lose his teacher ! the thing was not to be thought 
of. So he bustled about and got a number of Princes 
and others to subscribe to a fund to keep Beethoven 
in Vienna. Beethoven accordingly remained ; but 
he never got the subscriptions, and was obliged to 
continue to eke out a livelihood by teaching — w&rk 
that to one of his exacting, ill-governed and passion- 
ate nature was infinitely irksome and uncongenial. 

His failure to obtain a post that would bring him in 
an assured and sufficient income had, moreover, one 
result which until quite lately was hardly more than 
suspected. 

Much has been written about Beethoven's numer- 
ous love affairs — how first one high-born dame and 
then another attracted his ardent and impressionable 
heart. But of the one great passion of his life no- 
thing was certainly known, and very little suspected, 
until the appearance of a pamphlet by Mr. Thayer, 
author of the Biography of Beethoven, and later of 



A MUSIC LESSON AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. 337 

an article entitled "Beethoven's 'Immortal Beloved'" 
by Mariam Tenger, which appeared in 1890. 

Among Mozart's pupils at the time of his death 
was a certain Countess Theresa von Brunswick, the 
daughter of wealthy and aristocratic parents. When 
Beethoven's genius began to be recognized in Vienna, 
he was engaged to fill Mozart's place as her teacher. 
The little Countess was fifteen, a shy, sensitive, re- 
served child, alternating between a passionate admi- 
ration for her master's genius and a shrinking terror 
of his brusque, rough ways. 

One bitterly cold winter day she sat awaiting his 
arrival. The moment he entered she saw that he was 
in one of his gusty, stormy moods, and trembled with 
apprehension. 

._ '• ' Practiced the Sonata?' he asked, without lookiug 
at her. 

"His hair stood more on end than it was wont to do; 
the eyes — the magnificent eyes — were but half open, 
and the mouth angry — oh, so angry ! With a failing, 
voice, she answered : 

" ' I have practiced it ; but — ' 

" ' We'll see !' 

" She took her place ; he stood behind her. She 
thought, ' If I could but please him by playing 
well !' But, heaven knows how it happened, the 
notes swam before her eyes and her hands trembled. 
She began hastily; he said l Tempo' once or twice, 
but it did not help the matter. She saw that he be- 
22 



338 Vienna &m the vtexxesk 

more and more impatient, and she became more 

and at last she struck a false n te. It 

fine sense : hearing such in that 

aould have jried ::. Then I I what 

oed hei mentally and physically. He Lid not 

strike the key- . t, i _ . y. her hands — 

rushed, as th ugh ma ;. ;: : the sal o and through 

~. all-door. e slammed shind :m. 

•••V," th t his : i hat 1' she cried, and indis- 
I ly hurried after him. while her mother cd:. 
th salon 1 see "hat the nois 

"The sal d was empty ; the hall-door open. W 
was the servanf V ss was fi _ litened : but 

_ '..:_■■ : :her feelings when her daugh- 

L she : she had 

« she ha Her daughter, the 

< ontess Theresa von Brunswick, had run into the 

street - ian with his coat, hat an 

To be sure, she fcu 1 _ oe hardly ten feel from the 

1 servant reached her. > - 
:':' st ven, undecided what t io in 

- : the things he had I --hind him. He 
: k th m 6 l the servant, while his - lar, unno- 
ti 1, slip] ': house. Her mother sent 

her to her room, with the stern : rimand to think 
over the onfitn ss I nduct foi thf rest i the 

day : is much as Theresa m - 

: the conclusion, ' He might have caught 
and . 



COUNTESS VOX BRUNSWICK'S SECEET. 339 

"The gentle father put the blame on the servant 
who had left the entrance. He comforted his wife, 
telling her that Theresa was still a child, and had 
acted like one. ' After us, and her brothers and sis- 
ters, her teachers are the first in her affectionate 
young heart, and this excuses her precipitation/ 

" It was not exactly, however, as the old Count 
had thought. In Theresa's diary, written in French 
in 1794, nearly every page has some reference to 
'mon maitre,' 'mon cher maitre,' and there was none 
other than Beethoven meant by these words." 1 

Between Beethoven and Count Franz — Theresa's 
brother — a warm friendship sprang up. Beethoven 
was often invited to Montanvasar, the castle of the 
Brunswicks in Hungary, where he was treated with 
the easy familiarity of a family friend. For twelve 
years Countess Theresa persevered in her secret ad- 
miration for the great composer. 

"As I grew up this feeling grew with me. It 
strengthened and increased, with the unspeakable pain, 
of jealousy, which was its constant companion. When 
in the salons they discussed the conquests of the great 
musician, every nerve in my body trembled. Two 
daughters of the Brunswick family shone in the great 
world ; the third played the piano, painted, read and 
dreamed. My mother said, ' My Theresa is a born 
canoness,' and let me go my way. What troubled my 
passionate young heart and what I suffered no one 

1 Beethoven 1 s " Immortel Beloved." Mariam Tenger. 



340 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

suspected, not even my brother, my beloved compan- 
ion and Beethoven's friend. And I had often hard 
trials. One day my cousin, the charming Giulietta 
Guicciardi, 1 rushed into my room, threw herself, like 
a stage princess, at my feet, and cried out, in a chok- 
ing voice, ' Advise me, you cold, wise one ! I so long 
to dismiss my betrothed Gallenberg, and marry the 
wonderfully ugly, beautiful Beethoven, if — if I did 
not have to lower myself so.' . . . Heaven protected 
Beethoven from Giulietta. She became the Countess 
Gallenberg and disappeared from his life." 

At last came the day when Beethoven saw his 
friend's sister, his former pupil, with new eyes. It 
was the year 1806; Beethoven was thirty-six. the 
Countess was twenty-seven — a tall, noble-looking wo- 
man. " Her erreat, dark eves had that mild look that 
comes only from a pure spirit. When she smiled — 
aud that happened seldom — a divine glorification lay 
on her features. Such faces never grow quite old. 
When one spoke to her, he felt elevated and better. 
She spoke inimitably, beautifully and clearly." 

Thus she was described many years later by the 
painter, Peter von Cornelius. 

Of the crowning moment of her life we have the 
Countess's own account, as she related it to Mariana 
Tender. Beethoven had come to Montanvasar, and 
she had detected a subtle change in his attitude to- 
wards her. 

1 To whom the " Moonlight Sonata" was dedicated. 



AN AWAKENING. 341 

u One evening we sat in the salon. Beethoven was 
at the piano. There were no other guests than the 
curate; who dined with us every Sunday and remained 
until evening. The moon shone into the room ; that 
was what he liked best. Franz, who had seated him- 
self beside me, whispered in my ear, i Listen ! now he 
will play.' How I listened ! His dark face was trans- 
figured; he passed his hands ouce or twice over the 
keys. "We knew — I mean Franz and I knew — that 
he used to prelude by such discordance the greatest 
harmony. Then he struck a few chords in the 
base, and then played slowly, mysteriously, solemnly 
that song of Sebastian Bach, the only worldly 
song which that great master of church music has 
composed : 

1 Willst Du Dein Herz ruir scbenken, 

So fang' es Heimlich an, 
Dass anser Beider Denken 

Niemand errathen kann. 
Die Liebe muss bei Beiilen, 

Allzeit versehweigen sein, 
D'rum schliess' die groes^ten Freuden, 

In Deinem Herzen ein.' 

" My mother and the curate had fallen asleep ; my 
bmther looked earnestly before him. I was awakened 
to fullest life by that song, and by his look. 

"Next morning we met in the park. 

"' I am writing an opera now/ he said. k 'I have the 

principal figure in my mind before me, wherever I go 



342 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE 

or stay. 1 I was never at such heights before ! All is 
light ; all is clear and open ! Before this I was like 
the stupid boy in the fairy-tale who gathered the stones 
and failed to see the beautiful flowers that blossomed 
on the roadside. 

" So we found each other." 

A secret betrothal followed, known only to Count 
Franz, who made it the one condition of the marriage 
that Beethoven should obtain some post that would 
insure him a fixed income. 

The Countess, while hating concealment, especially 
dreaded to tell her proud and aristocratic mother of 
the step she contemplated taking. 

Beethoven left Montanvasar. The betrothal took 
place in May ; in July he wrote from Furen, a small 
watering-place in Hungary, the letter to the " Immortal 
Beloved" that was found in an old chest in his rooms 
after his death, together with the portrait of a lady, 
inscribed " To the rare genius, the great artist, the good 
man. From T. B."' 

The letter is now preserved in the Imperial 
Library in Berlin. The portrait, which was painted 
by Lampi, and represents the Countess as she appeared 
at about the time of her betrothal, was purchased some 
years ago by the Beethoven Society, and placed in the 
house Xo. 20 Bonngasse, Bonn, where Beethoven was 
born. 

1 The second version of " Fidelio " and "Overture Xo. 3*" were 
brought out in 1£06. 



A STORMY ENGAGEMENT— SEPAEATIOX. 343 

The engagement lasted four years. During all this 
time Beethoven was striving, without success, to win 
some position that would justify him in marrying. 

" He hoped for us both ; he was full of courage and 
energy, notwithstanding his hearing grew ever worse, 
and he had to journey repeatedly to a watering-place 
to strengthen his over- strained nerves. I, too, was 
blissful in his love. Only the secret from my mother 
oppressed me like a crime, and like a calumniation 
against my beloved. I could have said to every one, 
*■ Even though I should have to beg, I would be proud 
to be his wife.' ' Later the mood changed with Beeth- 
oven. Patience was not part of his nature. How 
could he stand this long test in his frame of mind? 
He soon felt hurt that I ceased to complain, and tried 
to quiet him. Storms and sunshine alternated in his 
letters and in the hours we spent together. Startled 
by his outbursts of temper, awed in my inmost heart 
by his deep, passionate love, I besought comfort and 
help from God. That during the four years of ouf 
engagement his greatest works were written and silently 
dedicated to me, was not until long afterwards of com- 
fort to me. In those most terrible days of my life, 
the eternally long, dreary days that followed the hour 
when — we parted forever — I was comfortless. . . . 
You must know that /did not say the word that parted 
us — but he. I was terribly frightened, grew deathly 
pale, trembled violently. . . ." 

The gentle, high-strung, reserved Countess was, in 



34A VIENNA AHI 7HZ VIENNESE. 

fact, utterly un fi tted to cop- with ha lovers viole»f 
nature. This she recognized years later. "I bow 
d w that I was the shief valise, Tne r~:~. great 
courage th^: : ::; Dens all things was :::-:■ r all wanting." 
_.;;::. " I regard it as a wise irdinance :: - Lin 
Beethoven's life thai we separated. What would ha ve 
become of his genius? YTLu:. :.:. :: my - it I 
had been afru. : himl As it was, we remained 
each rther's greatest treasure : rever/ 3 

Beethoven saw this, tot — saw that the 

marriage would on"." ring misery nd unhf: ness U 
his "Immortal Bel ~nd he loved her en _. : 

=: ii'r _->:". 

a Spaun, a friend and pupil of Be;: 
fcells of coming v - upon the mas: 

Lis : ms in Y m H wass I h th hi 

■or, and I : hear hi- . 

_ from the window fell upon a picture he held in 
his ] . -" bog, kissed. H 

speaking : - ..:. as . ften aJ ne. I 

did not wish to pi: vesdi per and noise) ss with- 
drew as I : s, T a wert : s I 
angel::.' When I retornc I : ind him 
at the piano c mj : si ng i 

In 18 the last year : the _ _ neni. a Baron 
Tremont came : : Y i ■. . ■. 

He had long desired : n::^: Be : : for whose 
genie- _i:est admirati Accordingly, 

arnied with a letter of introduction from j - 



VISIT OF BABON TREMOKT TO BEETHOVEN. 345 

of the composer's, he proceeded to the hitter's house. 
A neighbor volunteered the information that he was at 
. " but at present he has no maid : he changes 
them every minute. It is doubtful, therefore, if he'll 
let you in/' 

After knocking repeatedly, the Baron was about to 
go away when the door was suddenly 'Opened. " A very 
ugly man. who seemed to be in a most disagreeable 
mood, had opened it, and now asked what I wished. 
I said in French, ' Have I the honor to speak to Herr 
Beethoven ? ' 

"'Yes, sir," he replied in German: * but T must tell 
you at once that I do not understand French very 
well.' 

" ' And I German no better.' I answered ; 'but my 
business is merely to bring you a letter from M. 
Reicha, of Paris.' 

'*' At this he eyed me critically a moment, took the 
letter, and bade me enter. 

•• His house consisted . I believe, of but two rooms. 
One of these was an enclosed alcove, in which stood his* 
but it was s<:> small and dark that he was obliged 
to dress and undress in the second room. Here un- 
tidiness and disorder reigned: water-bottles stood on 
the floor; upon an old piano dust and music fought 
for supremacy ; the little walnut table had frequently 
received the entire contents of the ink-stand on its 
surface ; innumerable pens, thickly encrusted with ink, 
lavaboiu ; and ever\-where was music. On the chair — 



346 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

mostly of rush or straw — stood dishes containing rem- 
nants of past meals, and from their backs hung various 
articles of clothing." 

Hardly a home to which to take a delicately reared 
bride ! 

A labored conversation followed, carried on 
partly in French, partly in German, and rendered 
more difficult by Beethoven's deafness. Neverthe- 
less, the two men discovered a hearty liking for one 
auother, and the interview resulted in a warm friend- 
ship. 

Baron Tremont became a frequent visitor at the 
comfortless little house. He describes the effect the 
master's improvising had upon him. " It always 
awakened in me the liveliest musical enthusiasm. . . . 
Everything with him was of instant inspiration. He 
would often seat himself at the piano, strike a couple 
of chords, and say, ' To-day it doesn't come. We'll 
wait till another time.' Then we would talk of phil- 
osophy, of religion, politics, and, in preference to all 
else, of Shakespeare, his idol— and all this in a lan- 
guage that would have made a listener laugh had any 
such been present.'' 

Beethoven died in March, 1827, in rooms in the 
Sehwarz-panierhaus, Vienna, at the moment when a 
terrific >torm burst over the town. He was buried in 
the AV-ihringer churchyard. Countess Theresa von 
Brunswick outlived him for thirty-four years, and on 
the 27th of every recurring March a wreath of immor- 



SCHUBERT— HIS POVERTY— DEATH. 347 

telles was laid by an unknown hand upon Beethoven's 
grave. 

One of the torch-bearers at Beethoven's funeral w r as 
Franz Peter Schubert, then thirty years of age. As 
Mozart had prophesied of Beethoven's future celebrity, 
so Beethoven, on reading Schubert's songs for the first 
time, exclaimed, " He has the divine afflatus ! " Beeth- 
oven was, however, dying then, and Schubert only 
outlived him by two years. Although he was born in 
Vienna, and spent his life there, Schubert met with 
the usual treatment accorded by the Viennese to their 
great men. His career is the record of a painful and 
continued struggle with poverty. For example, in the 
summer of 1825, he went on a tour with his friend the 
poet Vogl. The latter sung Schubert's seven songs 
from the "Lady of the Lake," accompanied by the 
composer. They everywhere met with the greatest 
success. But when the songs were offered for sale on 
their return to Vienna, they could only get one hun- 
dred dollars for the whole set, while a few years later 
Schubert was obliged to part with some of his most 
beautiful songs for almost nothing. 

On his death Schubert was buried, at his own re- 
quest, close to Beethoven in the Wanning Cemetery. 
Later his remains were removed to their present resting- 
place in the Central Cemetery, near Kaiser-Ebersdorf. 

Beethoven's memory is linked by a charming inci- 
dent with the name of one of the great musicians of 
our own day. Franz Liszt always recalled with pride 



348 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

that when in the spring of 1823, he, then a boy of 
twelve, played in a concert in Vienna, Beethoven, at 
the conclusion of the performance, ascended the stage 
and kissed him. 

Liszt was a native of Hungary, and received the 
early part of his musical education in Vienna ; but 
he soon removed to Paris, and from thenceforward 
was but slightly connected with the Austrian caj)ital, 
a circumstance to which is probably largely due his 
prosperous and successful career. Paris appreciated 
him to the full, and his tours through the cities of 
Germany were highly successful ; while at a later date 
London received him with marked enthusiasm. The 
latter half of his life was spent at Weimar, where, in 
addition to his duties as director of the opera, he 
devoted himself to composition, and also became the 
most famed and sought-after piano teacher of his day. 
His brilliant career closed in July, 1886, at Bayreuth, 
whither he had gone to attend the musical festival. 

Before closing these chapters on the famous mu- 
sicians of Vienna, a few words must be said of two 
of the most conspicuous figures in the musical world 
of recent times — Dr. Johannes Brahms and Herr 
Johann Strauss. 

The time is past when a Beethoven could draw up 
for his private guidance a scale of prices in which " a 
svmphony for orchestra " figures at from one hundred 
dollars to one hundred and twenty-five dollars, and 
"a sonata" at sixty dollars. The sums realized by 



Statue of Schubert 



DR. JOHANNES BRAHMS. 349 

the Paderewslds of our day from renderings of the 
music of Mozart and Schubert are enough to make 
those ill-starred composers rise from their graves and 
demand, at least for their relatives, a share in these 
enormous profits. 

Dr. Brahms was a native of Hamburgh, but for 
many years he made his home in Vienna, where he 
occupied a unique position in musical circles. 

" He may be frequently seen on the street, taking 
with brisk step his daily constitutional, looking nei- 
ther right nor left, his hands crossed on his back. 
His massive, leonine head, his thick-set figure, are as 
familiar as household words. In former years he 
frequently sought the companionship of Herr Johann 
Strauss, but latterly he has shown a preference for 
solitary exercise. ... It is not often that Dr. Brahms 
is seen at a musical entertainment, unless it be the 
Philharmonic or Gesellschafts' Concerts [the two only 
series of orchestral concerts which are given during 
the season in Vienna], where he may be observed 
peering down from the directorial box, an earnest and 
attentive listener, yet one who hardly ever expresses 
approval or disapproval. . . . Though apart from his 
personal friends, who are to be found mostly among 
the professional musicians, there are numerous sincere 
admirers of his compositions, it cannot be said that 
the fact of his living in Vienna insures for him a 
special following there. . . . Wide-spread popularity, 
in the full sense of the term, Brahms has not achieved 



350 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

in Vienna ; but it lies in the nature of the music that 
this is probably the very last reward for which he 
strives." l 

Quite other is the work — and the estimation in 
which it is held — of Herr Johann Strauss. This son 
of a no less famous father has been for more than 
fifty years the " Waltz King " of a country where in 
every grade of society the love of waltzing amounts to 
a passion. When his Golden Jubilee was celebrated 
in 1895 tributes of admiration and appreciation 
poured in from every quarter of the globe. The 
strains of the " Beautiful Blue Danube " had set the 
entire world in motion. 

His father, also named Johann, was the son of a 
Viennese innkeeper, and at a very early age was wont 
to attract people to his father's inn with his lively per- 
formances on the violin. ^Notwithstanding this signifi- 
cant fact, his parents determined to give him a trade, 
and apprenticed him, when still a mere child, to a 
bookbinder. From this uncongenial work Johann 
soon escaped, and the story goes that a certain citi- 
zen of Doebling, who frequented the Strauss Inn 
when visiting Vienna, was much astonished one day 
to come upon the small musician, whom he had often 
seen in his father's house, seated by the roadside, some 
miles from Vienna, playing happily upon his violin, 
without a morsel of food, or a penny in his pocket. 
The worthy man, on hearing his story, took him home 

1 Musical Celebrities of Vienna. W. Von Sachs. 



WALTZING AMONG THE VIENNESE. 351 

with him, and having made matters right with the 
parents, arranged to have the little Strauss take lessons 
on the violin from Polyschansky. He later got a 
position in Lanner's orchestra, and a warm friendship 
sprang up between the two. Stranss's waltz music 
became widely popular, especially in France, where 
he had a great success. His sons — Johann, Josef and 
Eduard — all inherited in a marked degree their 
father's musical talent. Josef died, but Eduard is 
highly thought of in Vienna, where "he holds the post 
of Hofball musik director. 

The passion of the Viennese for waltzing is an old 
story. Mrs. Trollope speaks of it, in 1837, as exist- 
ing among all classes, and describes balls given re- 
spectively by Prince Metternich, several of the foreign 
Ministers, a society of small tradesmen, the Viennese 
wash-women and the hackney coachmen. She was 
told that among the working classes it was not un- 
common for single women, who were no longer young 
and attractive, to hire partners for the evening. The 
price varied according to the skill and general appear- 
ance of the swain. Supper was included in the charge; 
so that for a really eligible partner one had sometimes 
to pay as high as two dollars, or even more. She was 
told of a middle-aged cook who gave this necessary 
expense as one reason why she was obliged to ask for 
an increase in her wages. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

The Allgemeines Krankenhaus — Antiquated Methods — Absence 
of Trained Nurses — The Viennese Nurse of To-day — No Fees, 
No Attention — The Patient of Minor Importance — Treatment 
Nothing, Diagnosis Everything— Dissection— No Free Patients 
— A Visit to the Hospital — Beer for the Inmates — The Plague 
in 1898— A Sanitarium— Plush, Potted Plants and Fleas— 
The Landesgericht Interior — Silence — Administration — The 
Prisoner's Devices for Keeping his Money— Cells — Telegraphic 
Communication Among the Inmates — Turnkeys — The Prison- 
ers — The Sham Antiquities Dealer— Work of the Prisoners — 
The Women's Wards — The False Countess Kinsky — Former 
Customs in the Treatment of Condemned Criminals — The 
People's Kitchen Association — Dr. Kiihn's Plan for Helping 
the Poor — The First Kitchen — Success — Later Associations — 
Appearance of a Kitchen — Organization — Cost of the Food — A 
Busy Day— Dr. Kiihn's Further Efforts — The Imperial Pawn 
Offices — Character of the Depositors— Auction Sales— Old Age 
Homes — Their Objects and Management — The Eestaurant 
System — No Uniforms — Liberty of the Inmates. 

West of the Yotif Kirche, in the Alsergrund dis- 
trict, and facing the Alser Strasse, rise the vast 
barrack-like buildings of the Allgemeines Kranken- 
haus, which, with its two thousand beds, ranks as the 
largest hospital in Europe. 

Vienna, however, whose school of medicine stands 
in the fore front of the medical schools of the world, 

352 



VIENNA HOSPITALS— THE NUKSES. 353 

yearly attracting throngs of students of every nation- 
ality to its clinics — Vienna is a full half century be- 
hind the age in the matter of hospital management, 
and makes no provision whatever for the training and 
equipment of nurses. Unless she be a Sister of Charity, 
the Viennese nurse is usually a woman who, unable 
to get any other kind of work, accepts this employ- 
ment as a last resource. At the Allgemeines Krank- 
enhaus, with the exception of those employed in the 
obstetric ward, the nurses undergo no training what- 
ever. They receive five dollars a month, their lodg- 
ing and one meal a day, and they remain on duty for 
twenty-four hours at a time, two beiu^ assigned to 
eacli ward of twenty-eight patients. 

They are permitted, however, to supplement their 
salaries by peddling out small comforts to the 
patients, such as hot coffee, which they sell in the 
morning for four cents a cup, and, far worse than even 
this very undesirable practice, they are allowed to 
accept fees for the performance of their regular duties. 
From this system it naturally follows that only those' 
who have money receive anything like the proper 
attention, and patients are generally expected to ad- 
minister their own medicines; if they neglect to do 
this, there is no one to insist. 

" In Vienna, hospitals are looked on primarily as 

medical schools, and quite incidentally in any other 

light. Under treatment, the sick may or may not be 

cured. That is a matter of relatively little import- 

23 



354 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

anoe. As the students individually are kind-hearted 
men. they are glad, no doubt, that a poor devil should 
pull through ; but the main object in having him there 
at all is for them to learn as much about his disorder 
as possible. The result is that a patient with a rare 
or acute disease is the object of general interest. He 
is visited, and sounded, and punched and questioned, 
at all hours, by successive bodies of students. It 
happens not infrequently that patients are submitted 
to examination when in their death agony. A doctor 
who visited the hospital told me he saw a party of 
students sounding a woman who was dying of pleurisy, 
or pneumonia, in order that they might each hear the 
crepitation in her lungs as her last moments ap- 
proached. She expired before they left the ward. 

"He said something about treatment in another 
ca>e t<> the professor who was lecturing these young 
men. The reply was. *' Treatment ! treatment ! That 
is n-'thing. It is the diagnosis that we want." . . . 

••Patients, moreover, when entering, are required 
to sign a paper, agreeing to submit to any operation 
the authorities may consider necessary. The body of 
every one who dies in the Allgemeines Krankenhaus 
is subject to dissection, no matter who he may have 
been, or how strong may be the objection of rela- 
tives. . . . 

'• All patients are paying patients. Public hos- 
pitals in Austria are nut maintained by public sub- 
scription and benevolent bequests, but are State-en- 



A VISIT TO A VIENNA HOSPITAL. 355 

dowed, receiving grants from the Minister of Educa- 
tion and the Minister of the Interior. In addition, 
each patient is expected to give one gulden [forty-two 
cents] a day for his maintenance, which does not, 
however, include an early breakfast. Paupers are 
paid for by their province. Thus a Tyrolean would 
be chargeable on the public funds of the Tyrol. . . . 

" On the occasion of my first visit to the Allge- 
meines Krankenhaus, the day was stormy and bit- 
terly cold. The fierce wind, characteristic of Vienna, 
swept the streets, blowing the sleet in swirls, and ren- 
dering progress difficult. When we entered by the 
Alserstrasse gateway, round which prospective patients 
were standing, and reassured the porter as to our right 
to pass him, we found ourselves in a large square 
garden, the paths laid with planks. As we made our 
way, heads down against the blast, an elderly peasant 
woman, with weather-beaten face and gnarled fingers 
passed us. On her back she carried a basket of 
wood. Her short skirt of yellowish-brown cotton stuff 
reached her ankles. Over it was worn a loo.^e wrap- 
per, or camisole, to match, girded in by apron strings 
round her thick waist. On her head was a little gray 
shawl. My companion indicated her. 'That/ he 
said, ' is one of the nurses.' 

" We learned that beer was supplied to the patients, 
at their own expense, from a canteen on the premises, 
and that those well enough to leave their beds fetch 
it. We met some carrying cans, the men arrayed in 



356 VIENNA AXD THE VIENNESE. 

a bluish-gray cotton dressing gown and pajamas, cov- 
ered by a blanket cloak ; the women in camisoles, 
short skirts and head shawls. ... It seemed odd to 
see them out in such weather, though of course they 
were not dangerously ill/'' l 

It was in the Allgetneines Ivrankenkaus that the 
plague broke out in 1898, " thanks to a man who did 
not think it necessary to wash his hands before meals/' 
while the attendant in charge of the bacilli drank. 

It is not alone the iu mates of the General Hospital 
who are obliged to suffer from the ignorance and in- 
efficiency of the nurses. Good nurses are not obtain- 
able at any price ; they simply do not exist in Vienna. 
The sisters are far superior to the others, in that they 
are usually clean and attentive ; but they have no 
training. 

An expensive sanitarium, frequented by the patients 
of the fashionable doctors, while sumptuously fitted 
out with plush, potted plants and Persian rugs, is 
infested with fleas. Breakfast is served at eight 
o'clock, and the patients can have nothing before that 
hour. Xo fires can be lighted before half-past -even. 
The nurses get a little more than six dollars a month, 
and depend on fees from the patients for the rest vf 
their income. They are terribly over-worked, and 
the patients are given to understand that after half- 
past nine they are not to expect any further attention 
for the night. In short, it would be well for all trav- 

1 C. O'Couor-Eoeles, in The Nineteenth Caitury. October. Ifi 



THE "LANDESGEBICHT." 357 

elers to make up their minds, under no circumstances, 
to be ill in Vienna. At the first symptom of illness, 
fly. If you remain, while your case will be thor- 
oughly understood by the doctors and diagnosed in 
the most scientific and brilliant manner, you will 
probably die of neglect. 

A little further to the west, and on the opposite side 
of the Alserstrasse from the General Hospital, is the 
" Landesgericht," where are the House of Detention 
and the prison for persons guilty of minor offences ; 
also the cells for those condemned to death. The en- 
trance is guarded by soldiers of the line, with bayonets 
affixed to their muskets, and, instead of a porter's 
lodge, there is a guard-house. 

On entering, one finds himself in a long corridor, 
well lighted, absolutely clean, silent and deserted. It 
might be a Chartreux monastery, so profound is the 
stillness that reigns everywhere; only from time to 
time a turnkey, reconducting one of the prisoners to 
his cell, closes to the door with a resound ins: clanar, 
while the heavy key grinds remonstrantly as it turns 
in the lock. 

The administration of the prison is in the hands 
of a guardian-in-chief and a swarm of minor officials, 
all wearing military uniform. From six in the morning 
until seven at night a great clock, which can be heard 
throughout the entire building, regulates the routine 
of duties of the inmates. Immediately upon his ar- 
rival each newcomer is subjected to a rigid inspection, 



358 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

and is then dressed in the uniform of the establish- 
ment, this uniform being of cloth in winter and of 
linen in summer. The very poor are furnished with 
shoes and underwear as well. Their toilets completed, 
each prisoner receives a large gray woolen blanket, 
which is to serve for his bedclothes, and half a loaf 
of bread, and he is then conducted to his cell. 

One of the keenest anxieties of the newcomer is to 
contrive some means of secreting any money he may 
happen to have ; for with money to spend, an inmate 
of an Austrian prison can get almost anything that 
he wants. The inexperienced therefore resort to all 
manner of innocent devices, such as hiding their 
capital in their stockings or their shoes, or in the 
linings of their hats, where the inspector — who is of 
course entirely familiar with all these tricks — instantly 
pounces upon it. The money is then con ii seated and 
taken to the office, where it is doled out to the owner 
at the rate of forty kreutzers a week — the most that 
any inmate is allowed to spend. With this he is able 
to purchase from time to time a little wine, or a few 
ounces of tobacco. 

Bv the old hands the most ingenious methods are 
originated for escaping the vigilance of the inspectors. 
One habitue of the establishment, who had apparently 
come to submit to his terms of imprisonment with 
the most complete resignation, always arrived with 
his savings disposed in some new and clever manner 
about his person. As the prisoners are permitted to 



PRISONERS' DEVICES TO CONCEAL MONEY, 359 

keep their own caps, shirts and shoes, he on one occa- 
sion had a cap made to order, with a visor of double 
leather, between the two layers of which a quite con- 
siderable sum in paper money was neatly introduced. 
In the large linen-covered buttons of his shirt more 
paper florins were concealed; while the heels of his 
shoes were found to contain not money only, but two 
small files, in case an opportunity to escape might 
present itself. The heavily-starched wristbands of 
his shirts also yielded up a rich harvest of paper 
money, when soaked and carefully cut apart. 

The most common mode of concealment is to hold 
the money in the mouth ; but this, as well as the plan 
of fastening it to the soles of the feet with sticking 
plaster, is too old a story to succeed. 

Visitors have of course to be carefully watched, 
notwithstanding which they now and again succeed in 
handing over money rolled in a cigar, or hidden in 
some other innocent-appearing gift. 

An inmate once hit upon a most outrageous device 
for outwitting the officials. Every week this loving 
husband received a visit from his wife. The instant 
the pair set eyes upon one another, they flew into each 
other's arms; while the jailer, obliged by the stern 
behests of duty to intrude upon their privacy, could 
hardly view the scene without emotion. At last, how- 
ever, it was discovered that the devoted wife, in the 
act of pressing her lips to those of her husband, 
always slid into his mouth a five-florin note, which 



z: : asi rm vikmsesb 

~Le __ - . -..: i.:-_e nil ' .:t::1 _rr 

±Li t._- ." in in: : siz-E - ~ _n : : :_e~_: : : " ' e_- 
n : : : in _ n . -: - : z : ; . " -: > i - : ~ :. rlnif Each 
•_.- __ : := : ■■. ".- ■. —.:_ : -::_::::— : yi::_fT 
of water and a wooden spoon. rs and tab! s 

: :i . :..-■'_::: .-; -..- : .: :- ;. • .. __ ;_::■ :::« 



en '.-. iir en 1 ; - :: :_. . ._:. ._ :. : _-: . _: - "-.-:- 



~ - 



frequent intercourse among themselves. They have 
a complete system of signals, a telegraph code that 

7 - 

sign:: - 1 goal 

H - _ - 

nx: :;- :. : . ' -.-;-..:" : .: 1 ~ he 

: - 1: : :i _ - I: . r~:\ : : i: ? : : ':'.. 

1. .' 1.-. In - \ ' . : : : ' '.. .- . ■ . mp] es has . 

I the qc 
"Ha* brought bed per- 

[hfe ntil 

.■ - _ - - - 

- = :c : _ - 

i- T~ririi : : " - _ 

: :-. - . _ .-.- : . :. en ::i i :..-. n - ~ m : 1 ; ; r:n- 



- _tZ - ■. Ht:_ : -. _ - • ir :: f - 

St" :~t :~ :_Lt n: t : zzzz- i. ji: __t~ :_t : ir~ - 
-".t" :.:■■-« :l ".:... -:-.- :::——:. _ „ rie: : :: is 

L7jL~t - .. - ■. . - . ! - . - rr'z _Z 

:t::: : ::: i — :-.::_-. . rfpfiii. :z- :■:'!-:■'. i:-:: : 
__._-:„-: : - . _ . . -. . . ■ ■_ _;::_-}>. ■ -_- z. 
responsible dimes. Frequently subjected to tot 
zzzt-zz ::t.::_:i: - :_ .-; :. - -.-;". > :.-.-- :::_z .: t""t^ 
:."-__: :„■■.■_:--.. - i : ' : .- i -. . - . - : ..-/ " : :- -:: 
:-. "i ..-.-. :.7"t: iz ;z; — . ;■ :: :.->- -. .>-: -.. .- 

il-i: . . Es::. = : :_-. • ..« ~ ~irj 

: i: '.- 

1z.~. :■_:-.:: : :: :. :-.__ :•;-'. .:.:. _ " : ? "-::- : ~: / 
::.:■::.:; :---. >i :::::- zY.- :: r: _ _ ; . --- c : ..-.;" 
=: I — -z: :"_t :". :_> _ ~ z: i z'zzzj ~ -r-E ::—--" :: is 
comparatively easy to recognize to what class of society, 
and to what rationality, trade or occupation, each be- 
longs. Most of them appear to be restless and preoc- 
•:-i: :-.-'. ::: z-.~ _- -::...: _ : z _;■ zzz^ :z: : 
- : t"^"- :.— e.rzz •-. : :■ ■ z -.:■.:...■- 

!• • "; :: - - - :•-." ■ - :- : : -. • ; • z> it-. :•: :t~- 
ing on a most animated conversation. The tall man 
who is holding forth so glibly is a certain Weininger, 
who obtained an international cele > effiron- 

tery and success in exploiting sham antiquities. I 
museum in Germany had dealings with him at one 
:.:_-. :: ..:. ::.-.- r. :. z. • '■'.:■. x. '.".-."*■■ : :. .•: - .-.-. 



362 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

of Modena with twopenny pistols and armor, which he 
passed off as antiques. From his factory, which was 
in Vienna, he shipped two ^xteenth century altars to 
a London dealer for the modest sum of thirty thou- 
sand pounds, producing papers to show that they had 
been purchased in Rome from a Jesuit monastery for 
two hundred thousand francs. This enterprising indi- 
vidual had made an arrangement with a Hungarian 
noble by which the latter, in return for the payment 
of all his debts, agreed to furnish patents of nobility 
for all this contraband antiquarian stuff. 

Many of the prisoners are employed in the manufac- 
ture of meerschaum pipes, shoes, toys, pasteboard 
boxes ; or in carpenters' and joiners' shops. Those 
who cannot read and write are obliged to spend a part 
of each day in the school-room, so that on the expira- 
tion of their terms they may have laid at least the 
foundations of an education. 

The women's quarters are in a separate wing of the 
building. 

"Do you see that respectable-looking young girl, 
with an odd expression, who is seated near one of the 
windows embroidering? " asks the inspector. u Well, 
she persists in trying to pass herself off for an Ameri- 
can ; we know perfectly well that she is a Viennese, but 
she refuses absolutely to speak a single word in Ger- 
man." 

In another apartment a young woman, beuding over 
a loom for knitting stocking-, is pointed out as "the 



THE FALSE COUNTESS KINSKY. 363 

false Countess Kinsky." This spirited young person 
hit upon a method for improving her fortunes, which 
promised not only material gains, but the most divert- 
ing experiences. She contrived, solely by correspond- 
ence, completely to turn the heads and inflame the 
hearts of a crowd of artists, clerks and shopkeepers, 
giving herself out to be the young Countess Kinsky ; 
and every man of them believed that she really wanted 
to marry him. One evening she appointed a rendez- 
vous at the opera with each and all of them. It was 
faithfully kept, and each ardent lover appeared duly 
attired in correct costume, black coat, white necktie, 
camelia in the button-hole. The real Countess Kinsky, 
seated decorously beside her parents in a box, little 
dreamed that the parterre was filled with her adorers. 
This was in fact a clever and entirely successful device 
for exciting on their parts an answering feeling to the 
love which the adventuress had herself been the first 
to declare. After this the interchange of letters be- 
came more and more frequent until at last she an- 
nounced — to each one — that her parents had discovered 
her secret, and faithful to the aristocratic prejudices of 
their ancient race, would not hear of such a marriage, 
but were making arrangements to remove her from 
Vienna* For her own part, she was determined to fol- 
low the dictates of her heart, and to take advantage of 
the confusion of departure to fly with her lover, if she 
could by any possible means raise enough money to 
purchase the connivance and assistance of her maid, 



364 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

the man-servant, the coachman, the porter, etc., etc. 
Naturally each individual lover at once furnished gen- 
erous means to remove all obstacles, but just as the 
ingenious young woman was beginning to reap the 
harvest of all her toil and inventiveness, something 
aroused the suspicions of the police, and now, instead 
of the Countess Kinsky traveling in aristocratic luxury 
in foreign lands, she was just plain Marie Lichtner, 
considerably out of pocket for stationery and postage 
stamps, and required to weave stockings in the Alser- 
strasse prison. 

Some curious customs formerly prevailed in the 
treatment of criminals condemned to death. When 
the prisoner had confessed his guilt — without which 
confession the death sentence could not be pronounced 
— he was conducted to a platform erected in front of 
the Maison de Police, in the Holier Markt, and there 
exposed for ten minutes to the public gaze, while his 
sentence was read aloud for the benefit of the multi- 
tude whom morbid curiosity had drawn to the Platz. 
On the following day still larger crowds were admitted 
to a sort of reception held by the condemned man in 
the interior of the building. 

Mrs. Trollope has left an account of one of these 
scenes, which occurred while she was in Vienna. The 
prisoner on this occasion was a young man convicted 
of the murder of his sister's mistress, an old woman, 
whom the girl declared had ill treated her. 

"At the extremity of a small room sat the criminal, 



THE PEOPLE'S KITCHENS ASSOCIATION. 365 

with his confessor beside him, and before a table 
whereon was placed a crucifix between two lighted 
candles. The priest had a book before him, from 
which he read some sentences in a low voice ; while 
the prisoner, whose limbs were perfectly free, smoked a 
long pipe, which a man, who appeared to be one of his 
jailers, replenished for him when it was exhausted. 
. . . The prisoner seemed to take little heed of the 
scene before him, excepting that as every newcomer 
threw a piece of money to him, upon a napkin spread 
behind the crucifix on purpose to receive it, he slightly 
bent his head to each. 

"The money thus collected is entirely at the dis- 
posal of the prisoner. If he be a pious Catholic, he 
will dispose of it in masses to be performed for the 
repose of his soul ; but he is permitted, if such be his 
wish, to expend it in eating and drinking whatever he 
may choose to command, during the last day and night 
of his existence, or he may bestow it on any surviving 
friend." 

Just thirty years ago there was inaugurated in 
Vienna what has proved to be a most successful bene- 
ficial enterprise, the People's Kitchens Association. 

Dr. Josef Kiihn, a resident of Vienna, who took a 
deep and intelligent interest in the welfare of the 
working people, had, after careful investigation, satis- 
fied himself of two things. First, that large numbers 
of the working classes were habitually underfed, and 
second, that this was mainly due to the outrageous 



366 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

profits made by the keepers of cheap restaurants. 
The dwellings of the very poor in Vienna are so ill 
provided with cooking arrangements, that many peo- 
ple are forced to go outside for their meals ; yet, so 
low was the scale of wages at that time — married 
men being frequently unable to earn more than two 
dollars a week — that many laborers could not afford 
to spend so much as fourteen cents on a single meal, 
that being nevertheless the smallest sum for which a 
dinner could be had. 

It was Dr. Kiihn's conviction that good and suffi- 
cient food could be furnished for less than half this 
amount, and that an association which should under- 
take to do this could be made at least to pay its way. 
He accordingly enlisted the interest of some of his 
friends, and in 1872 the first " People's Kitchen" 
was opened on the Hechtengasse. 

At first dinners only were served, consisting of 
beef or mutton and vegetables and costing six cents. 
Then the menu was extended, and when the scheme 
had been thoroughly tried and found to be not only 
enormously beneficial, but, after the initial expense, 
self-supporting, breakfasts and suppers were added. 

Associations were formed in other parts of Vienna, 
and in the course of twenty years no fewer than thir- 
teen kitchens had been established, all self-supporting 
and all doing a rushing business. Two thousand four 
hundred people are sometimes served in one kitchen 
in the course of a single day. The Jews have one, in 



APPEARANCE OF A KITCHEN. 367 

which the food is dressed and prepared in strict accord- 
ance with the Mosaic law. 

The writer from whose interesting article 1 these 
facts have been taken, gives tbe following description 
of the appearance of a Kitchen, and the routine of 
work for each day : 

" There is no more interesting place in all Vienna 
than a People's Kitchen. The most important is the 
one in the Hechtengasse, only a few hundred yards 
away from the house in which the first association 
bemin its work, twentv-two years a<ro. It is held in 
a fine, handsome building, which was erected in com- 
memoration of the fortieth anniversary of the Em- 
peror's accession, the money for it being raised by the 
late Princess Auersperg. The Kitchen itself consists 
of two very large, lofty rooms — one on the right of 
the hall, the other on the left. In each of them are 
a number of long tables, covered with American 
cloth, and having benches on either side. The room 
to the right is the principal dining-hall. The upper 
part of the one to the left is cut off from the rest by 
a counter, beyond which the public are not allowed 
to pass. Here is the huge fireplace, at which the food 
is cooked and kept hot until the time comes for serving 
it. A marked feature of the Kitchen is its scrupu- 
lous cleanliness. Although many hundred persons 
pass through it every day, the air is always fresh and 

1 People's Kitchens in Vienna. Edith Sellers. Nineteenth Cen- 
tury, 1S94. 



368 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

pare, and there is never a sign of dust or untidiness. 
The white china plates and dishes are spotless, the 
knives and forks are brightly polished, whilst, as for 
the glasses, they literally sparkle. 

"Attached to the Kitchen are fourteen paid servants 
— a matron, two assistant matrons, a cook, an assist- 
ant cook, two kitchen maids, two scullery maids, a 
washer-up, a general helper, two men waiters and a 
cashier. They are all hard at work by half-past five 
in the morning, for by six o'clock they must have 
breakfast ready for the men who call on their way to 
the factories. Breakfast is a very simple meal — soup, 
tea and bread being the only things provided. 

" A portion of soap or often costs three kreazers [a 
kreuzer is equal to something less than half a cent]; 
a white roll, two kreuzers, and a slice of brown bread 
one kreuzer. For eight kreuzers, therefore, a good 
breakfast can be had, and, as most of the men are con- 
tent with soup and brown bread, they pay only four 
kreuzers for their meal. 

"After eight o'clock no breakfasts are served, for 
then preparations for dinner begin. The cook and her 
assistants, since six o'clock, have been chopping and 
paring, and stewing and boiling ; for a meal for two 
thousand persons or more is not to be prepared in a 
hurry. When the cooking is done, the dividing out 
begins. This is the work of the matron, and most 
tiresome work it is ; for, as the association makes it a 
point of honor that every portion shall be exactly 



LOW PEICE OF FOOD IN THE KITCHENS. 369 

equal in size and quality, each one of them has to be 
weighed. 

" The first guests to arrive are always the school 
children ; for, as they are received on special terms 
and have a menu of their owd, they are admitted only 
from eleven until a quarter to twelve. . . . 

" The menu for the day is written on a huge slate, 
which hangs near the door. That menu is a curi- 
osity ; it is never twice the same in one week, and 
the variety of dishes it includes in the course of a 
year is simply marvelous, considering the prices 
charged for the dinners. . . . As everything is sold 
a la carte, no one need spend more than he chooses on 
his meal. The average cost of a dinner is eighteen 
kreuzers, though the prices range from twenty-five 
kreuzers to six. . . . The remarkably low price at 
which food is sold in the People's Kitchens must be 
ascribed in some measure to the gigantic scale on 
which the undertaking is conducted. The associations 
require such vast quantities of provisions, that they 
are able to open out new markets for themselves, in 
places where the supply is great and the demand 
small. Vegetables and dairy produce, for instance, 
are transported by the wagon- load from remote 
country districts, where they are bought at considera- 
bly under the wholesale market prices." 

Dr. Kiihn's interest and activity grew and increased 
with the growth of his enterprise. As the Kitchens 
of the first association multiplied, he gave to each the 
24 



370 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

same careful personal supervision that had insured the 
success of the first one. The service, the quality of 
the food, the tastes of his patrons — no detail was too 
insignificant for his careful attention. He likewise 
inaugurated an arrangement by which supplies can 
be furnished from his Kitchens for soldiers stationed 
near Vienna in time of war ; and at periods of un- 
usual distress among the working people, the associa- 
tion undertakes to furnish special meals, on short 
notice, for the unemployed. 

Another institution that has proved of the greatest 
benefit to the Viennese poor is the Imperial Pawn 
Office, an outgrowth of an enterprise started in the 
besnunino; of the eighteenth centurv to relieve the 
working classes at a time of great distress. 

The Poor Law Department of that day, under the 
patronage of the Emperor Joseph I., opened a pawn- 
shop, where money was loaned in large proportion to 
the value of the articles pledged, and a very trifling 
interest required. Later the pawn-shop came under 
the direct management of the Imperial Government. 
It grew into an exceedingly flourishing institution — 
so much so that its large profits became a snare, and 
in the time of Joseph II. a thorough reorganization 
and reform in its methods was necessary. It was 
then that the large convent — made vacant by the 
Emperor's act of suppression — on the Dorotheergasse 
was bought, which has ever since remained the chief 
office of the association. The low rate of interest 



OLD AGE HOMES IN VIENNA. 371 

demanded makes it impossible for any profits to be 
realized on the small sums loaned to the very poor. 
It is from members of the well-to-do classes, whom 
extravagance, illness or misfortune have driven to 
apply for temporary help to the Imperial pawn-shops, 
and who deposit articles of real value and obtain con- 
siderable sums on them, that the income is derived. 
If after ten months an article has been neither re- 
deemed nor re-pledged, it is sold at auction. If it 
brings more than the amount for which it was pledged, 
the difference is returned to the owner. 

Before leaving the subject of the philanthropical 
establishments of Vienna, a few words must be said 
of its Old Age Homes — institutions which, in their 
organization and workings, present very different fea- 
tures from the poor-houses and similar institutions of 
other countries. 

These Old Age Homes have existed, in some form 
or another, for upwards of six hundred years. In the 
time of that indefatigable reformer, the Emperor 
Joseph II., the right of aged and destitute persons to 
receive support from the State was clearly laid down, 
and has ever since been recognized. 

At the present day these Homes are so managed as 
to offer a cheerful and comfortable refuge for old 
people who are no longer able to work for a living, 
and who have no near relatives upon whom their sup- 
port should properly devolve. 

Each inmate receives the sum of about ten cents per 



372 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

day with which to pay for his meals, and he can fre- 
quent any restaurant in Vienna that he prefers, or 
patronize the one on the premises, which is run by a 
professional caterer, under the supervision of a com- 
mittee appointed by the Poor Law Department. This 
restaurant is apparently managed with the same mar- 
velous thrift as the People's Kitchens, for a study of 
the menu develops the fact that the old people are 
able to buy good and sufficient food for this extremely 
modest sum, and even to indulge occasionally in a 
glass of the red or white wines, or beer, that figure in 
the bills of fare. Naturally the mere fact of being 
able to order their meals and pay f«:»r them themselves 
tends greatly to increase the contentment, happiness 
and self-res t >f the inmates: and, as a fact, to 
reside in an Old Age Home in Vienna does not cast 
any reflection upon one's respectability or social stand- 
in r . The laboring class — everywhere the most con- 
ventional class oi people — regard these Homes in the 
light of well-earned haven- for people who, having- 
worked hard and lived decently all their lives, are 
now able to do so no more. The spirit nf independ- 
ence and self-respect is further srimulated by the 
absence oi uniforms and by the almost entire freedom 
allowed to the inmates in the disposal of their time. 
1 ■• Practically the inmates may do just as they like, 
so long as they conduct themselves in an orderly fash- 
ion and do not quarrel. "When once they have made 
I : I Hi AuM .. Edith 9eUenk 



LIBERTY OF INMATES IN OLD AGE HOMES. 373 

their rooms neat, they may lounge about in the sun- 
shine, or by the stove, the whole day long, if they 
choose. After dinner [served between eleven and 
two] they may all go to bed for an hour, and this 
many of them do. In each Home there is a chapel in 
which Mass is celebrated every day ; but the old 
people are perfectly free to go there or not, just as the 
fancy takes them. If they care to do so, they may 
leave the Home every day at one o'clock, and need 
not return until eight in the evening. Then they 
have the right to spend one whole day with their 
friends every week j and if they wish to spend two, 
the director rarely or never refuses them the permis- 
sion. Once a year, too, they may go away for a 
whole month, provided that they have anywhere to 
go. Some of them pay quite a string of visits during 
the summer, and return to the Home all the better 
and the more contented for the change. These privi- 
leges, however, are strictly conditional on good be- 
havior. Should any of the pensioners show a dispo- 
sition to abuse their liberty, it is at once curtailed." 



CHAPTER XX. 

Schonbrunn — Its Origin — Fischer von Erlach's Plans — Maria The- 
resa's Alterations — The Gloriette — Napoleon at Schonbrunn — 
Reviews in the Great Court — The Emperor's Attention to Detail 
— Attempt to Assassinate Napoleon — Marriage of Marie 
Louise — Her Conduct after Napoleon's Abdication — Attitude 
of her Father — Her Return to Vienna— Life at Schonbrunn — 
Madame de Montesquieu and the Little King of Rome— Count 
Neipperg — Queen Caroline of Naples — Her Advice to her 
Grand-daughter — The Congress of Vienna — Visit of the Comte 
de la Garde to Schonbrunn — His Description of the King of 

Rome— Isabey's Portrait— Marie Louise and the Cong 

Her Presence at One of the Fetes— Feeling of the Public 
with Regard to her Marriage— She Hears of Napoleon's Escape 
—Appeals to the Allies— Goes to Parma with Count Neipperg— 
"L'Aigle and PAiglon " — Death of Napoleon — Death of the 
Duke of Reichstadt— Death of Ccuut Neipperg— Marie Louise 
Marries Charles de Bombelles— Tragic Death of a Young Arch- 
duchess at Schonbrunn — Marriage of Crown Prince Rudolph — 
Forebodings of the Empress Elizabeth— The Mystery of Meyer- 
ling — Tragedies in the Imperial Family— Assassination ot' the 
Empress — The Rule of the Emperor Francis Joseph — The 
Future of Austria. 

The Imperial chateau of Schonbrunn, with its 
elaborate park and gardens, occupies a site to the 
southwest of Vienna, on the south bank of the \Vien. 

Schonbrunn is almost as rich in historical associa- 
tions as the Hofburg itself. It began as a hunting- 

37-4 



— ..: : : ...: - :>' j : nere-h, Maximil ian II. 

: Nr-1571 ^vhose chief pleasures in life are said to 
have been the chase and Hungarian wine. In 1696 
Leopold I. employed Fischer von Erlaeh to prepare 
plans for a great chateau to replace the modest hunting- 
IxL*--?. These j-:.h ; Le-" ..1' = sin. Jiser-b. I.. "":.? 

gaged in «Lrrying out on an elaborate scale when his 
death occurred in 1 71 1 . About forty years later Maria 
Theresa altere ~ .icture inl : ailding of to- 

day. 

The Empress was particularly fond of the pavilion 
called the Gloriette, which stands in the centre of the 
grout Is. AX :he close of her life, when her unwieldy 
bulk and weak ankles made it impossible for her to 
walk up and down stairs, she had a sort of elevator 
arranged in the Gloriette, by means of which she could 
be hoisted to the upper balcony, from thence to enjoy 
the charming view which stretched across the park and 
Vienna in the distance. 

- first valet de chambre, g: 
description in his Jfemoirs of the chateau and grounds 
as they appeared at the time of the Emperor s second 
occupation of Vienna (1809), when ? as on the former 

aon in 1805, he established his headquar: 
^ .. 'z.\ ;.:.-. 

r describing its situation, and the bridge across 
the Wien, he tells of the great cour*. si enough to 

permit the manoeuvring of seven or eight thousand 
men/' where the Emperor daily reviewed the troops. 



376 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

At six in the morning the drums beat the reveille" ; 
some hours later the troops assembled in the court, and 
on the stroke of ten the Emperor could be seen de- 
scending the steps. 

Constant says that in these reviews no detail was so 
small as to be beneath the Emperor's notice. He ex- 
amined the contents of this one's knapsack, inspected 
that one's account book. " Halt ! " he cried one day, as 
a long line of wagons was seen filing slowly by. Then, 
indicating one of them, he turned quickly to the officer 
in charge and asked what was in it. The officer, hav- 
ing replied in detail, Xapoleon had the wagon emptied, 
its contents noted, and then, to make sure that by acci- 
dent or intention nothing had been left behind, he 
climbed up and himself examined the inside. Every- 
thing was found to correspond exactly with the report, 
and the soldiers, hugely delighted, murmured among 
themselves, " Bravo ! That is the way to do. That 
is the way not to be deceived." 

The Viennese used to stream out in crowds to wit- 
ness these reviews, attracted partly by a natural curi- 
osity to behold what manner of man it was who had 
conquered Europe, and partly by the novelty of his 
methods. 

One morning in October Xapoleon had arrived on 
horseback, and, after dismounting, was crossing the 
court with some of his officers, when a young man 
pushed through the crowd and asked to speak to the 
Emperor. As he could not give any clear account o{ 



ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE NAPOLEOX. 377 

himself, he was refused and conducted back into the 
crowd. A few minutes later he made another attempt 
to reach the Emperor's side, but was prevented; there 
was a slight scuffle, during which a large knife fell out 
of his pocket. He was, of course, at once arrested 
and interrogated. He proved to be the son of a min- 
ister of Nauinburg, who had come to Vienna with the 
express intention of assassinating the Emperor. Napo- 
leon had an interview with him later in the day, and 
seems to have been somewhat astonished at the frank- 
ness with which the youth told him of his intentions 
and his reasons. " I wanted to kill you," he remarked, 
calmlv, " because you are the oppressor of Germany." 
" Suppose I were to pardon you ? " said the Emperor. 
"You would make a mistake. I would try again." 
"He is mad," said the Emperor, "he is decidedly mad," 
and he tried to make that an excuse for pardoning 
him. But as no one else thought so, and the youth 
gave every evidence of possessing a remarkably clear 
head, the Emperor at last handed him over for exami- 
nation by a military commission, who promptly con- 
demned him. Four days later he was executed, the 
Emperor, who appears to have been fascinated by his 
fearlessness, postponing the carrying out of the sen- 
tence till the last possible moment, in the hope that he 
might express repentance, on which condition he was 
to be pardoned. 

It has been said that this attempt on his life in- 
creased Xapoleon's impatient desire for an heir; at all 



378 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE 

events, it was immediately after his return to France 
thai the negotiations for his marriage with the Areh- 

ss Marie Louise were opened. 

This onion, which N i certainly did all that 

lay in his power to render a happy one. had endured 

just four years when, on the 26th of January, 1814, 

the Emperor parted from his wire and son for the last 

and set forth to attack Blucher at Brienne. The 
campaign closed with the occupation of Paris by the 
Allies and Napoleon's abdicat: 

Marie L ise i w fraud herself in a most distress- 
ing situation. Only twenty-two years of age, and 
with no force of character, the necessity for coming to 
some decision in this crisis rilled her with dismay, 
mplains bitterly that no one will tell her what 
to do. Napoleon inleed did not care to have her 
share his exile, unless she did so voluntarily, saying 
that he pi s litude to the sight of melancholy. 

At last her father, who, now that the necessity for 
g Napoleon no 1 ngei existed, had fully 
take his daughter' ...in. visited 

: Rambouillet. and advised her : Vienna 

. making any fin:/, lecision. . _ -. early 

in May, 1814, Marie L rise, T ith the little Kii _ 

-. and an imposing train of attendants and basr- 
g g - _ ns. arrived at Schdnbrunn, which had been 

ready to receive her. Here, surrounded by the 
affecti - licitude of her relatives, the ex-Empress 

settled down contentedly enough. 



mai.:z :.:;^-..3: :z; : ; 379 

r_:Z„: ;.:;:_::.- z 1 1 :: ...:._. '"_ 
:Lr— ii: l : ■_..: : ".: :l lurriizr ~r':zz. Siv- ;l~;-z\. 
now exerted every means to estrange her from him. 
Madame de Montesquieu, the little Prince's governess, 
on the contrary, constantly alluded to Kapoleon in 
conversation, and saw to it that his memory was 
k : : .-.. . . z z :- . \z i'z- z.z . : :.. . 
whom she required to pray for his iather night and 
el ::_:l_, 

I ■■.::„_ :„ - ~z^z 11:.. L v.:--? zl:..-. :.. ~. : 
Aix for the baths, and then traveled through Switzer- 
land. She was accompanied on this journey by Count 
Xeipperg, a clever and unscrupulous man of the 
world, whom Metternich had placed near her, with 
orders to acquire a complete influence over her, and 
to finish the work of alienation from her husband. 

There was one person, however, who, far from 
joining in this family conspiracy, pointed out the 
path of dutv to Marie Louise in no uncertain voice. 
This was her maternal grandmother, 1 who, although 
she had small reason to like Xapoleon, seeing that 
he had deprived her of her kingdom, held very clear 

is as to the meaning of the marriage vow. Bh 
told the wavering, comfort-loving ex-Empress that 
when a woman marries it is for life, and if she could 
not reach her husband's side by any other nieai> 

»The Emperor Francis, though married four times, left children 



380 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

had better make a rope of her bedclothes some night 
and drop out of the window. 

In November the great Congress of Vienna opened, 
and Marie Louise found it very hard to be obliged to 
live in retirement at Schonbrunn when all these gay 
doings were afoot. Many of the distinguished visit- 
ors waited upon her, however, curious to see the wife 
and child of the man whose confinement alone pro- 
cured them any sense of security. 

The Comte de la Garde 1 gives an account of his 
visit to Schonbrunn, made in company with the Prince 
de Ligne : 

"As w T e passed through the courtyards, which are 
exceedingly spacious, the Prince pointed out to me 
the spot where a young political fanatic attempted to 
assassinate Napoleon, about the time of the battle of 
Wagram. . . . We proceeded to the apartments of 
Madame de Montesquieu, who received us with the 
most lady-like politeness. As soon as we entered the 
young Prince jumped from the chair in which he was 
sitting, and ran to embrace the Prince de Ligne. He 
was certainly the loveliest child imaginable. His 
brilliant complexion, his bright, intelligent eyes, his 
beautiful fair hair, falling in lar^e curls over his 
shoulders, all rendered him an admirable subject for 
the elegant pencil of Isabey. . . . AVe stepped up to 
Isabey, who had nearly finished the portrait. The 
likeness was striking, and the picture possessed all 

1 See p. 260. 



MARIE LOUISE AXD THE CONGRESS. 381 

the grace which characterized the works of that dis- 
tinguished artist. It was this same miniature which 
Isabey presented to Xapoleon on his return from Elba 
in 1815." x 

Another day, when going for a walk on the ram- 
parts, the Comte de la Garde was attracted by a 
crowd, which he found on inquiry had assembled to 
watch for Marie Louise, who was calling upon the 
Empress of Russia. He comments upon the com- 
mendable feeling of reserve which, in the " peculiar 
delicacy of her situation," prevented her from taking 
part in any of the festivities by which the potentates 
were celebrating the downfall of her husband. As a 
fact, however, the ex-Empress would dearly have 
loved to enter into all the gaieties. Reserve or deli- 
cacy of feeling were so foreign to her shallow nature 
that, prevented by a bare sense of decency from 
participating openly, she on one occasion posted her- 
self in a screened gallery in the Hof burg, from whence 
she could observe one of the grand fetes given to the 
Congress. The hall was the same in which the mag- 
nificent ceremony of her betrothal had taken place a 
few short years before, while among the guests she 
could distinguish Eugene de Beauharnais, Josephine's 
son. 

No one seemed to discover any impropriety in her 
behavior, and indeed the Comte de la Garde, on the 
occasion alluded to above, heard some of the crowd 

1 Memoirs of the Comte de la Garde. 



382 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

murmur disapproving remarks about the Imperial 
arms of France, which still appeared on the carriage 
and the liveries of the ex-Empress ; and he notes that 
from that day the arms and livery were changed. 

The universal feeling appears to have been that 
her marriage was a sort of political alliance, consum- 
mated wholly for the good of the State, and of no 
force whatever when its usefulness was done. 

To no one indeed does the news of Xapoleon's escape, 
in the following March, appear to have brought greater 
dismay than to his wife. She instantly sat down and 
wrote to the Congress, assuring them that she knew 
nothing of it, and that she confided herself and her 
son wholly to the protection of the Allies ; then, hardly 
has the letter gone when she is quite distracted at 
the thought that, after all, she may have ranged her- 
self on the losing side. Napoleon at large, with all 
France rising to acclaim him, might yet hold the best 
cards. Fortune favored her, however, and the sym- 
pathetic Viennese gave her a beautiful serenade at 
Schonbrunn to celebrate her husband's final overthrow 
at Waterloo. Her future had been provided for by 
the Congress, which gave to her the Duchies of Parma, 
Plaisance and Guastella for life, on the trifling condi- 
tion that she should leave her son at Vienna. Accord- 
ingly, accompanied by Count Xeipperg, with whom 
she later contracted a morganatic marriage, she de- 
parted very contentedly for Parma. 

It was now but little more than a year since Napo- 



DEATHS OF NAPOLEON AND HIS SON. 383 

leon bad written to his brother Joseph that he had 
rather have his son's throat cut than that he should 
be brought up at Vienna as an Austrian Prince, add- 
ing that he had so high an opinion of the Empress 
as to feel sure that she shared these views, " as far as 
a woman and a mother can." But just what he most 
feared and dreaded had already come to pass. 

" Oui, l'aigle un soir planait aux voutes eternelles, 
Lorsq'un graud coup de vent lui cassa les deux ailes; 
Sa chute fit dans 1'air un foudroyant sillon ; 
Tous alors sur son nid fondirent pleins de joie ; 
Chacun selon ses dents se partagea la proie ; 
L'Angleterre prit l'aigle, et l'Autriche l'aiglon!" 1 

After six years of confinement on the island of St. 
Helena, Napoleon died there of cancer May 5, 1821 ; 
while the Duke of Reichstadt did not survive his 
twenty-second year, dying on the 22d of Jul v, 1832, 
at Schonbrunn, in the same room that his father had 
occupied in 1809. 

As for Marie Louise, she lived happily with Count 
Xeipperg until his death, in 1829, and shortly after 
this event she married her father's chamberlain, 
Charles-Rene de Bombelles, a member of a French 
family which had been conspicuous for its devotion to 
the House of Bourbon and its detestation of Xapo- 
leon. 

It was at Schonbrunn that one of the many trage- 
dies, which during the nineteenth century have shad- 
1 " Napoleon II.," in Les Chants du Crepuscule. Victor Hugo. 



384 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

owed the Imperial House of Austria, occurred in the 
death of the adored daughter of the Archduke Albert, 
uncle to the present Emperor. There had been some 
indications that the young Archduchess's lungs were 
weak, and she had therefore been forbidden to smoke 
cigarettes, an indulgence to which she was much ad- 
dicted. One eveniug, however, she disobeyed orders, 
and was leaning out of her window, in a light dinner 
dress, enjoying the stolen treat, when the sudden 
appearauce of her father in the garden below caused 
her to hide the still lighted cigarette behind her. In 
a moment her dress had caught fire, and before aid 
could arrive she was fatally burned. A few days 
later she died, after horrible suffering. 

Of all the magnificent fetes which Vienna has wit- 
nessed, none probably have outshone in splendor that 
which celebrated the unhappy marriage of the late 
Crown Prince Rudolph and the Belgian Princess 
Stephanie. 

The road leading from Schonbrunn to the Prater, 
where a popular festival was to be held, had been 
hedged in by a dense mass of human beings for manv 
hours before the Imperial cortege set forth. Sixty- 
two Court equipages held the Court and the royal 
guests, and when the procession reached the Prater 
Stern, the crowd became so dense, and the eagerness 
of the people to catch a glimpse of the bride and 
bridegroom so intense, that the police were unable to 
keep a way clear. It was not until the Emperor 



The Prater Stern 



CROWN PRINCE RUDOLPH'S SUICIDE. 385 

stood up, and in a good-humored little speech implored 
the crowds to be reasonable, that the procession was 
able to proceed. 

According to one writer, 1 the Empress Elizabeth 
was at no pains to conceal the strong repugnance 
which from the beginning she had felt for this mar- 
riage. Her manner throughout the festivities was 
cold and lifeless, and her demeanor towards the King 
and Queen of Belgium, and Princess Stephanie, so 
repellent as to create remark. 

During the wedding ceremony in the Burg Kap- 
pelle (May 10, 1881), this writer states that the Em- 
press actually so completely lost control of herself as 
to break into a violent fit of weeping — a most extra- 
ordinary lapse for one schooled in the severe etiquette 
of the Austrian Court. 

The marriage did indeed prove to be a most un- 
happy one, and eight years later (January 30, 1889) 
the Crown Prince Rudolph was found dead at his 
hunting-lodge of Meyerling, beside the lifeless body 
of Baron ne Marie Vetsera, the young and very beau- 
tiful daughter of an Austrian nobleman, whom he 
had met about a year before, and with whom he had 
fallen violently in love. The mystery enveloping this 
double tragedy has never been cleared up. It is sur- 
mised that the unfortunate lady, having swallowed a 
dose of poison which she had concealed about her 
person, died in the Crown Prince's arms, and that he 

1 The author of The Martyrdom of an Empress. 
25 






386 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

then in despair shot himself. This event, coming as 
it did on top of a long series of griefs and disap- 
pointments, broke the Empress's heart. 

When, a high-spirited and sensitive girl of sev- 
enteen, she came to Vienna as a bride, the treatment 
she received at the hands of her mother-in-law, Arch- 
duchess Sophie, and later from her sister-in-law, Arch- 
duchess Carlotta (afterwards Empress of Mexico), 
so embittered her, that she gradually came to adopt 
that attitude of icy reserve which was the cause of 
most of her unpopularity. 

The execution of the Emperor's brother, Archduke 
Maximilian, in Mexico (1867) j 1 ' the insanity and sui- 
cide, in the Stahrenberg Lake, of her cousin, King 
Louis of Bavaria (June, 1886); the death of her 
sister, the Duchess d'Alencon, at the Charity Bazaar 
lire, in Paris, in 1896 ; and, more than all, the humili- 
ating tragedy of her only son's death, would have com- 
pletely crushed any less intrepid spirit than that with 
which nature, in addition to her other wonderful gifts, 
had endowed the Empress Elizabeth. As it was, she 
sought by change of scene and environment, to dull 
the gnawing pain at her heart, and wandered rest- 
lessly from place to place, until at last, in 1898, a 
stupid, senseless crime brought her the long-coveted 
peace. 

The Empress was traveling incognita in Switzer- 
land ; with her attendants she had occupied a suite of 

1 See p. 306. 



KULE OF EMPEROR FRANCIS JOSEPH. 387 

rooms in the Hotel Beau Rivage, in Geneva, on the 
night of Friday, September 9. On the following 
morning, as she was about to embark for Montreux, 
upon one of the steamers that ply up and down the 
iake, an Italian anarchist, named Luccheni, leaped 
upon her and stabbed her in the breast. The Empress 
almost immediately lost consciousness, and expired in 
a few hours. 

Four years have elapsed since this crowning tragedy 
involved the " Fated House of Habsburg." Three 
months after the Empress's death, Francis Joseph 
celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his accession — 
fifty years which have brought to pass marvelous 
changes in the policy and administration of the Aus- 
trian government. For the first ten years of his reign 
the young Emperor struggled, as his grandfather's 
uncle, Josephll., had struggled before him, to establish 
a system of centralization, and to lay down in Vienna 
hard and fast rules for the control of all the varying 
peoples that dwell within his realm ; and he failed, just 
as Joseph II. had failed. During the succeeding nine 
years various compromises were tried, but with no 
success ; and then, in 1867, the new policy was 
adopted. Hungary was granted something like inde- 
pendence ; the Emperor and Empress were crowned 
King and Queen of Hungary, and, with the Ans- 
gleich, 1 the Austrian Empire became the Dual Mon- 
archy. 

1 See p. 64. 



388 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Bohemia next brought forward her claim to be 
restored to her ancient rights, as had been done in the 
case of Hungary, and the Emperor actually issued a 
proclamation, in 1871, promising to acknowledge 
these, and to submit to be crowned at Prague as King 
of Bohemia. So threatening was the excitement 
among the anti-Slavites, however, when this proclama- 
tion appeared, that it was never carried into effect, 
and the Bohemian question remains to-day one of the 
most puzzling of the many unsolved problems with 
which the successor 1 of Francis Joseph will be con- 
fronted. 

Among these problems, that of the very survival 
of the State is not the least conspicuous. 

Whether, as one recent writer asserts, the presence 
of an Austrian Empire is of such vital necessity to 
the well-being of Europe that, " did she not exist it 
would be necessary to invent her," or whether, when 
the overmastering personality of the present Emperor 
is once removed, she will fly asunder, to be devoured 
by her greedy neighbors, as others would have us 
believe, is a question to which no convincing solution 
has as vet been offered. 

1 Francis ^born December IS. 1863 , son of Archduke Charles 
Louis, brother to the Emperor, has, since the death of the Crown 
Prince Rudolph without male issue, been heir presumptive to the 
Austro-Hunsarian throne. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

A CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL 
EVENTS IN AUSTRIAN HISTORY FROM THE 
RISE OF THE HABSBURGS TO THE PRESENT 
DAY. 

Note.— In the following table the Emperors are distinguished by Roman 
numerals; those Habsburg rulers who bore the same name, and were 
never Emperor, are distinguished by Arabic numerals. 

EUDOLPH I., Count of Habsburg, 1273-1291. 

1273. Elected Emperor. 

1275-1276. Wars with Otakar, King of Bohemia; siege and cap- 
ture of Vienna ; subjugation of Otakar. 

1278. Fresh outbreak of war; battle of the Marchfeld ; final 
overthrow and death of Otakar. 

1291. Death of Kupert. 

Kudolph I. married J Gertrude Anne, Countess of Hohen- 
berg, by whom he had three sons and seven daughters ; 
2 Agnes of Burgundy. 

His second son Hartman, and his third son Rudolph (2), 
Duke of Austria, predeceased him. 

ALBERT L, 1291-1308, eldest son of Rudolph I. and Gertrude 
Anne of Hohenberg. 

1298. Elected Emperor, and crowned at Aix la Chapelle. 
1308. Murdered by his nephew John. 

389 



390 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Albert I. married Elizabeth of Carinthia, by whom he 
had twenty children, ten of whom — six sons and four 
daughters — survived their infancy. 

Rudolph (3), King of Bohemia, the eldest son of Albert I., 
married Blanche, daughter of Philippe le Bel, King of 
France, and died in 1307. 



FREDERICK THE HANDSOME, 130S-1330. 

LEOPOLD (1), THE GLORY OF KNIGHTHOOD, 1308-1326. 
Sons of Albert I. and Elizabeth of Carinthia. 

1308. Frederick succeeds to the Austrian provinces. Leopold 
succeeds to Suabia, Alsace and Switzerland. 

1315. Struggles with the Emperor Louis of Bavaria, and with 
the Swiss Cantons ; decisive victory of the Swiss at Mor- 
garten. 

1322. Battle of Muhldorf ; total defeat and capture of Frederick 
by the Emperor Louis. 

1326. Death of Leopold at Strasburg. 

1330. Death of Frederick at the Castle of Gullenstein. 

Frederick married Isabella of Arragon, and left one 
daughter, who married John, Count of Goritz. 
Leopold married Catharine of Savoy, by whom he had two 
daughters ; Catharine, the eldest, married Enguerraud VI. 
de Coucy. 

ALBERT .2 THE WISE. 1326-1358. 

OTTO THE BOLD. 1327-1339. 

Sons of Albert I. and Elizabeth of Carinthia. 

1339. Death of Otto. 

1352. War with the Swiss Cantons belonging to the League. 

The Peace of Brandenburg. 
1358. Death of Albert at Vienna. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 391 

Otto married l Elizabeth of Bavaria, by whom he had 
two sons, both of whom died shortly after their father ; 
2 Anne of Bohemia. 

Albert (2) married Joanna of Ferret, by whom he had four 
sons and tWo daughters. 

RUDOLPH (4), THE FOUNDER, 1358-1365, son of Albert 
the Wise and Joanna of Ferret. 

1359. Nave and south tower of St. Stephan's Church restored. 

1364. Acquisition of the Tyrol. 

1365. The University of Vienna endowed. 
Death of Rudolph in Italy. 

Rudolph (4) married Catharine, daughter of the Emperor 
Charles IV., and died without issue. He was the first to 
assume the title of Archduke, which was later secured to 
the House of Habsburg by the Emperor Frederick III. 
(1440-1493). He had scientific and antiquarian tastes, and 
greatly increased the power and importance of his house. 



ALBERT (3), 1365-1395. 

LEOPOLD (2), 1370-1386. 

Sons of Albert the Wise and Joanna of Ferret. 

1369. Final annexation of the Tyrol by the House of Austria. ' 
1375. Invasion of Alsace and Switzerland by Enguerrand VII. 
de Coucy, at the head of forty thousand men, six thousand 
of whom were English. De Coucy had married a daughter 
of Edward III. of England. 
1382. Acquisition of Trieste. 

1385. Dissatisfaction in Switzerland. 

1386. Battle of Sempach ; the Austrians totally defeated by the 
Swiss Leaguers of Lucerne, Zug, Zurich and the Three 
Forest Cantons (Uri, Schweitz and Nidwald). Leopold (2) 
killed. 



392 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

1388. Defeat of the Austrians at Nafels by the men of Glarus 
and Schweitz. 

1395. Death of Albert at Laxendorf. 

Albert (3) married x Elizabeth, daughter of the Emperor 
Charles IV. ; 2 Beatrice of Nuremberg, by whom he had 
one son, Albert. He was a peaceable Prince, fond of the 
study of theology, and interested in horticulture. 
Leopold (2) married * Catharine of Goritz ; 2 Virida, 
daughter of Barnabas Visconti, Duke of Milan, by whom 
he had four sons and a daughter. 

ALBERT (4), 1395-1404, son of Albert (3) and Beatrice of 
Nuremberg. 

WILLIAM, 1390 (ctrca)-1406. 

LEOPOLD (3), 1390 (circa)-Ull). 

Sons of Leopold (2) and Virida Visconti. 

1404. Death of Albert (4) of poison, administered at an enter- 
tainment given by a Moravian chieftain. 

1406. Death of William. 

1407. Frederick and Ernest, younger sons of Leopold (2) and 
Virida Visconti, demand a share in the government. 

1411. Death of, Leopold (3). 

Albert (4), "the pious son of a pious father," married Jo- 
anna, daughter of the Duke of Holland and Zealand, by 
whom he had one son, Albert, and a daughter. 
William married Joanna, daughter of the King of Hun- 
gary; he died without issue. 

Leopold (3) married Catharine, daughter of Philip the 
Wise, Duke of Burgundy ; he died without issue. 

ALBERT II., 1411-1439, son of Albert (4^ and Joanna, daughter 
of the Duke of Holland and Zealand. He succeeded to his 
father's dominions at the age of fifteen. 

1415. John Huss burned alive at the Council of Constance. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 393 

1415-1435. Struggles between the Emperor Sigismund and the 
Hussites of Bohemia; Albert assists the Emperor. 

1417. The Great Schism. 

1431. Council of Basle. 

1437- Albert acknowledged King of Hungary and Bohemia. 
Death of the Emperor Sigismund. 

1438. Albert elected Emperor. 

With the exceptions of Charles VII. and Francis I. all the suc- 
ceeding Emperors were Habsburgs. 

Invasion of Servia by the Turks ; Albert goes to the assist- 
ance of the Hungarians ; sickness in both camps ; retreat 
of the Turks. 

1439. Death of Albert. 

Albert II. married Elizabeth, daughter of the Emperor 
Sigismund, by whom he had two daughters and one pos- 
thumous son, Ladislaus. Albert was a Prince of unusual 
ability, judgment and integrity. His reign forms a bril- 
liant epoch in the history of his House. 

LADISLAUS POSTHUMOUS, 1440-1457, son of Albert II. and 
Elizabeth, daughter of the Emperor Sigismund. 

1440. Crowned King of Hungary at Alba Regia, " on the bosom 
of his mother." Committed to the guardianship of Fred- 
erick, Duke of Styria, a descendant, as well as himself, of 
Albert (2) the Wise. 

The Duke of Styria elected Emperor, with the title of 
Frederick III. 

1451. Frederick III. goes to Rome to be crowned by Pope Euge- 
nius, taking Ladislaus with him. 

^Eneas Sylvius becomes the young King's instructor. 

1452. John Hunniades, George Podiebrad and the Count of Cilli 
appointed Regents 

1453. Constantinople captured by the Turks under Mahomet II. 
Death of Constantine, the last of the Emperors of the East. 

1454-1455. Turkish invasions of Hungary. 



394 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

1455. Defeat of the Turks at Belgrade by Hunniades. 

Death of Hunniades. 
1457. Ladislaus Corvinus, son of John Hunniades, treacherously 

put to death at Buda by Ladislaus Posthumous. 

Death of Ladislaus Posthumous on the eve of his marriage 

with Magdalen, daughter of Charles VII. of France. 

"With the death of Ladislaus Posthumous the Line of Albert (3)» 
son of Albert (2) the Wise, became extinct. The Line of Tyrol, 
founded by Frederick, eldest son of Leopold (2), brother of Albert 
(3), terminated with the death, in 1496, of the feeble and in- 
capable Sigismund, Count of Tyrol, under whom the last of the 
Swiss possessions were lost to the House of Austria. 

The Austrian succession was then reduced to the Styrian Line, 
founded by Ernest, Duke of Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, etc., 
fourth son of Leopold (2), and uncle of Sigismund. 

st married 2 Cymburga of Poland, from whom the " Habs- 
burg Lip" is said to have been derived. 



FREDEKICK III., 1440-1493. 

ALBERT (5), 1458-1463. 

Sons of Ernest, Duke of Styria, and Cymburga of Poland. 

SIGISMUND, 1458-1492, son of Frederick (2) of Tyrol and Anne, 
daughter of the Empe*or Frederick II. 

1458. Lower Austria assigned to the Emperor Frederick III. 
(of the Styrian Line) ; Upper Austria to his brother 
Albert ; and a part of Carinthia to Sigismund, Count of 
Tyrol. Vienna to be their joint place of residence. 
George Podiebrad chosen King of Bohemia. 

1459. Matthias Corvinus, son of John Hunniades, chosen King 
of Hungary. 

1460. War with Hungary. 

1462-1463. Civil Wars. The Emperor, with his wife and son, 

besieged in the citadel of Vienna, by his brother Albert. 
1463. Death of Albert. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 395 

1464. Death of Pope Pius II. (^Eneas Sylvius). 

1471. Invasion by the Turks. 

1473. Maximilian, son of the Emperor Frederick, affianced to 

Princess Mary of Burgundy at Treves. 
1477. Invasion of Lower Austria and siege of Vienna by 

Matthias Corvinus. 

Marriage of Maximilian and Mary of Burgundy. 

1479. Hostilities between Maximilian and Louis XL of France. 

1482. Death of Mary of Burgundy. 

1486. Maximilian elected King of the Romans (1. e., heir to the 

Imperial dignity). 
1488. The Netherlander, who, since the death of their Princess, 

Mary of Burgundy, had been restless under the authority 

of Maximilian, break out in open rebellion. Maximilian 

seized by the people of Bruges and kept in confinement ; 

some of the Ministers put to death ; others exiled. 

Maximilian released on the approach of an army raised 

by the Emperor. 

Peace established in the Netherlands. 

1490. Death of Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary. 
Ladislaus, King of Bohemia, chosen King of Hungary. 

1491. Restoration of the Austrian Territories, conquered by 
Matthias, to the House of Habsburg. 

1492. f Withdrawal of the Emperor Frederick from public affairs. 
/(/^ O Death of Sigismund. 

1493. Death of Frederick, aged seventy-eight. 

Frederick III. married Eleanora of Portugal, by whom he 
had a son, Maximilian, and a daughter, Cunigunda, who 
married Albert, Duke of Bavaria. Frederick reigned as 
Emperor fifty-three years, the longest reign since that of 
Augustus. Under him the Empire reached its lowest state 
of degradation, while the House of Habsburg became 
more powerful than ever before. He was the last Emperor 
to go to Rome to be crowned. 



396 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

1493. Albert (5) married Matilda, daughter of the Elector Pala- 
tine. He died without issue. 

Sigismund married * Eleanora, daughter of James II. 
of Scotland ; 2 "Catharine of Saxony. He died without 
issue. 



MAXIMILIAN I., 1493-1519, son of Frederick III. and 
Eleanora of Portugal. 

1494. Marriage of Maximilian to Bianca Maria. 

Philip the Handsome, son of Maximilian and Mary of 
Burgundy, assumes the government of the Low Countries. 

1496. Marriage of Philip and Joanna, Infanta of Spain. 

1499. Struggles with the Swiss Cantons. 

1500. The Swiss Confederacy obtains a treaty acknowledging its 
independence of the Empire and immunity from Imperial 
taxation. 

1504. Death of Isabella of Castile. Joanna (her daughter) and 
Philip proclaimed sovereigns of Castile, with Ferdinand, 
husband of Isabella, as Kegent. 

1506. Death of Philip, leaving two sons and three infant daugh- 
ters. 

1515. Charles, eldest son of Philip, assumes the government of 
the Low Countries. 

Ferdinand, second son of Philip, and his sister Mary, 
betrothed to Anne and Louis, daughter and son of Ladis- 
laus, King of Bohemia and Hungary. 

1516.. Death of Ferdinand, King of Arragon and Eegent of Cas- 
tile. His grandson Charles assumes the government of 
the entire Spanish monarchy. 

1517. Luther affixes his ninety-five propositions to the door of 
the Wittemberg church. 

1519. Death of Maximilian, at Wels. . v 

Maximilian married l Mary, daughter of Philip the 
Bold of Burgundy. This marriage brought the Nether- 



CHKONOLOGICAL TABLE. 397 

lands to the House of Austria. He left by her a son, 
Philip, who predeceased him, and a daughter, Margaret. 
Philip the Handsome, son of Maximilian I. and Mary of 
Burgundy, married Joanna, daughter of Ferdinand and 
Isabella of Arragon and Castile. By her he left two sons, 
Charles and Ferdinand, both of whom succeeded, and four 
daughters : Eleanora, who married ! Emmanuel, King of 
Portugal, and 2 Francis I. of France ; Isabella, who mar- 
ried Christian II the Bad, King of Denmark ; Mary, who 
married Louis II., King of Hungary and Bohemia, who 
was killed in 1526 (after the death of her Aunt Margaret, 
Mary became Kegent of the Netherlands) ; and Catharine, 
who married John III., King of Portugal. 
Margaret, daughter of Maximilian I. and Mary of Bur- 
gundy, married l John, son of Ferdinand and Isabella, 
who shortly died ; and 2 Philibert II. of Savoy. After the 
death of her second husband and her brother Philip, Mar- 
garet became Eegent of the Netherlands. She died in 
1530. Maximilian married 2 Bianca Maria, daughter of 
Galeas Sforza, Duke of Milan, by whom he had no issue. 
By the marriage of Philip and Joanna, Spain was acquired 
by the House of Austria; and by the marriage of their son 
Ferdinand and their daughter Mary to the son and daughter 
of Ladislaus, King of Hungary and Bohemia, those two 
countries were added to the Austrian possessions. Under 
Maximilian the Empire was divided into ten districts, or 
circles, each with a Diet, a Director for the maintenance 
of order, and a Military Governor, or Colonel. Maximil- 
ian also established the tribunal which later went by the 
name of the Auhc Council. 1 

^The Aulic Council w3« a Supreme Court, which, dissolving on the death 
of each Emperor (of the Old German— Holy Roman— Empire), was re-created 
by his successor. With the abdication of Francis II. and the end of the 
Empire, in 180R, it ceased to exist. Since then the term has been applied to the 
Imperial Council of War of Austria, the members of Provincial Chanceries 
beinj; called Aulic Councilors. 



398 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

CHARLES V., 1519-1556. 

FERDINAND L, 1521-1564. 

Sons of Philip the Handsome and Joanna, daughter of Ferdinand 
and Isabella of Arragon and Castile. 

1519. Charles elected Emperor. 

1520. Crowned Emperor at Aix la Chapelle. 
Capture of Belgrade by the Turks. 

Publication of a Bull, the " Execrable Bull of Antichrist," 
by Leo X., condemning the teachings of Luther. 
The Bull, and other decrees of the Pope, publicly burned 
by Luther at Wittemberg. 

1521. Diet of Worms. Charles summons Luther to appear and 
furnishes a safe conduct. 

The Edict of Worms. 

Luther concealed in the Castle of Wartburgh by Fred- 
erick, the Elector of Saxony. 

Austria, Styria, Carniola and Carinthia ceded by Charles 
to his brother Ferdinand. 

Marriage of the Archduchess Mary and Louis, King of 
Hungary and Bohemia. 

1522. Tyrol, and the Suabian and Alsatian Territories, ceded to 
Ferdinand. 

The Spanish-German army defeats the French near Milan. 
Marriage of Ferdinand and Anne of Hungary and Bohe- 
mia. 

1525. Battle of Pavia ; total defeat of the French and capture 
of King Francis I. by the Spanish and German forces, 
under Colonna, Pescara (husband of Vittoria Colonua and 
Frundsberg, Commander of the German Lansquenets. 

1526. The Turks, under Solyman II. the Magnificent, win a 
great victory over the Hungarians, at Mohatz, August 29. 
Death of Ladislaus, King of Hungary and Bohemia. Buda 
and Pesth surrendered to the Turks. 

Ferdinand elected King of Hungary and Bohemia. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 399 

1529. A majority of the Diet of Spire (Ferdinand presiding) 
repeals a decree of religious toleration enacted by the 
former Diet of Spire (1526). The Lutheran minority pub- 
lishes a formal Dissent or Protest, from whence the name 
Protestants. 

1530. Charles receives the crowns of the Empire and of Lom- 
bardy from Pope Clement VII. at Bologna. 

Diet of Augsburg. The Protestants present the Con- 
fession of Augsburg, composed by Luther and drawn up 
by Melahcthon. The Protestants form a League at Smal- 
ls aide. 

153L Ferdinand elected King of the Romans. 

1532. Fresh invasion by the Turks. Gallant resistance of the 
town of Guntz. Solyman forced to raise the siege, and 
two months later to retreat. 

1543. Philip, only son of the Emperor Charles V., married * 
to Maria, daughter of John III. of Portugal. 

1545 Opening of the Council of Trent ordered by a Bull of 
Paul III. 

1546. Death of Luther. 

War between the Imperial troops and the Protestant 
League of Smalkalde. The League crushed. 

1548. Marriage of Maximilian, son of Ferdinand I., and his 
cousin Mary, daughter of Charles V. 

1552. Insurrection, headed by the Protestant Maurice of Sax- 
ony, aided by the Margrave of Bradenburgh and Henry 
II. of France. 

Council of Trent hastily^ suspended for two years, " in con- 
sequence of the perils of war." 
Pacification of Passau. 

1554. Philip married 2 to Mary, Queen of England. 

1555. Diet at Augsburg. Toleration won by the Protestants. 
Death of Joanna, mother of the Emperor Charles V. 
Charles abdicates from the government of the Nether- 
lands in favor of his son Philip. 



400 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

1556. Charles resigns the crown of Spain to his son Philip and 
retires to the Convent of St. Justus, near Placentia. 

1558. Death of the Emperor Charles V. on September 21. 

Ferdinand I., as King of the Romans, succeeds to the Im- 
perial dignity, resigned two years earlier by his brother 
Charles. 

1560. Council of Trent re-convoked by Bull of Pius IV. 

1562. Seventeenth session of the Council of Trent opened on the 
18th of January. 

Maximilian, son of Ferdinand I., elected King of the 
Romans and crowned King of Bohemia. 

1563. Twenty-fifth and last session of the Council of Trent. 

1564. Death of Ferdinand. 

Charles V. married (1526) the beautiful Princess Isabella 
of Portugal. He was devotedly fond of her, and after her 
death (1539) he refused to marry again. Charles left by 
his wife Isabella a son (Philip II of Spain), who suc- 
ceeded him in the crowns of the Two Sicilies and of Spain 
and in the sovereignty of the Netherlands, and two 
daughters, Mary and Joanna. 

Philip married l (1543), Maria, daughter of John III. 
of Portugal; 2 (1554), Mary, Queen of England ; s (1560), 
Isabella, daughter of Henry II. of France; 4 (1570), 
Anne, daughter of his first cousin, the Emperor Maximil- 
ian by Philip's sister Mary. 

Don Carlos, son of Philip and Maria of Portugal, became 
deeply incensed with his father because of the latter twice 
supplanting him ; first, by marrying the beautiful Princess 
Isabella of France, whom Carlos was to have married ; and 
then Anne of Austria, who although but twenty-one. his 
cousin and niece, and the destined bride of his son, Philip 
took for his fourth wife. Don Carlos exhibiting leanings 
towards the reformed religion, his father himself arrested 
him in the middle of the night and handed him over to 
the Inquisition. He was condemned for heresy and exe- 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 401 

cuted. By Queen Mary Philip had no children ; by 
Isabella of France he had two daughters, and by Anne of 
Austria he had Philip (III. of Spain), who succeeded him. 
Mary, daughter of the Emperor Charles V., married her 
cousin Maximilian (son of Ferdinand I.), afterwards the 
Emperor Maximilian II. Joanna married John of 
Portugal ; her son, King Sebastian, was killed at the 
battle of Alcazar (1578). 

Charles V. was the most powerful Prince of the House of 
Habsburg. He is described as having combined "the 
phlegm of Frederick III., the address and intrepidity of 
Maximilian L, the vigor, policy and duplicity of Ferdi- 
nand I., the Catholic, and the personal qualifications of his 
father Philip," this last being a reference to his handsome 
face and figure. He united under his sole rule the Nether- 
lands, the Spanish monarchy and the Austrian dominions 
(the last he ceded, however, to his brother Ferdinand), 
besides being Emperor, and King of Lombardy. The last 
years of his life were clouded by the constitutional melan- 
choly inherited from his imbecile mother, Joanna of Spain, 
and by the undutiful conduct of his son Philip. 
Among the natural children of Charles V. was Don Juan 
d' Austria, the famous victor in the battle of Lepanto (Octo- 
ber, 1571) against the Moors of Granada. One of the most 
romantic schemes of his short but adventurous life was a 
plot to effect the deliverance of Mary, Queen of Scots, 
whereby he hoped to acquire the crown of Scotland, and ulti- 
mately that of England. He died at the age of thirty-three. 

Margaret of Austria, also a natural child of Charles V., 
was one of the most brilliant and accomplished women of 
her time. She married * Alexander di Medici, and 2 
Octavio Farnese, by whom she had a son, the celebrated 
Alexander Farnese. She was appointed Governor of the 
Netherlands by her brother Philip, but resigned in 1564 in 
favor of the Duke of Alva. 
23 




402 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

Ferdinand I. received Austria, Styria, Carniola and Carin- 
thia from his brother, the Emperor Charles V., in 1521, and 
Tyrol and the Suabian and Alsatian territories in the fol- 
lowing year. On the death of Ladislaus, King of Hungary 
and Bohemia (1526), Ferdinand was elected to succeed 
him. He was elected King of the Komans in 1531, an 
succeeded his brother Charles as Emperor in loo&r He 
was betrothed in his boyhood to Anne, daughter of Ladis- 
laus, King of Hungary and Bohemia, the marriage taking 
place in his twenty-third year. By her he had fifteen 
children. Three sons and nine daughters grew up. The 
three sons (Maximilian, Ferdinand and Charles) founded 
respectively the Houses of Austria, Tyrol and Styria. 
Maximilian succeeded his father. 

Ferdinand made a morganatic marriage with Philippa 
Welser, an Augsburg lady of extraordinary beauty. 

Charles was proposed by Melville as a husband for Mary, 
Queen of Scots, and later a match was suggested between 
him and Queen Elizabeth. Both of these negotiations 
failing, he married Maria, daughter of the Duke of Ba- 
varia. His eldest son, Ferdinand, eventually succeeded to 
the Austrian possessions and the Imperial Crown as 
Ferdinand II. 

Ferdinand I., though warmly and sincerely attached to the 
Church of Rome, was not bigoted or intolerant. He 
labored earnestly to induce a reformation of the chief 
abuses and scandals in the Church, and to reconcile the 
Protestant bodies. He especially advocated a married 
clergy, and the granting of the chalice to the laity. On 
his accession, the haughty and overbearing position taken 
by the Pope, Paul IV., led to a revolt from the Papal 
authority, and from thenceforward it was declared un- 
necessary that the Imperial Crown should be received 
at the hands of the Pope. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 403 

Ferdinand was well educated, kindly, generous, a faithful 
and devoted husband, and a conscientious and able ruler. 



MAXIMILIAN II., 1564-1576, eldest son of Ferdinand I. and 
Anne of Hungary and Bohemia. 

1564. Maximilian succeeds to the Austrian dominions on the 

death of his father. 

The Duke of Alva succeeds Princess Margaret of Austria 

as Governor of the Netherlands. 
1566. Fresh inyasion of Hungary by the Turks. The small 

town of Zigeth, with a garrison of fifteen hundred, holds 

out for thirty-one days against the entire Ottoman army. 

It is finally taken and the garrison annihilated, the Turks 

losing twenty thousand men and their Sultan Solyman, who 

died of fatigue and malaria. 
15G7. Treaty of peace concluded between Maximilian and the 

Sultan Selim. 
1572. Rudolph, eldest son of Maximilian, crowned King of 

Hungary. 

Massacre of St. Bartholomew, August 24th. 

1575. Rudolph crowned King of Bohemia. 
Rudolph elected King of the Romans. 

1576. Death of Maximilian. 

Maximilian II. had a strong predilection for the reformed 
faith, but he never left the communion of the Church of- 
Rome. He renewed the efforts of his father to procure a 
married clergy and the administration of the communion 
in both kinds to the people. He was the most popular and 
beloved sovereign of the entire House of Habsburg. He 
strongly deprecated the harsh measures adopted by the 
Spanish and French sovereigns against the Protestants, 
and referred to the St. Bartholomew Massacre as a " foul 
deed " and " infamous slaughter." " Let Spain and France 
do as they like," he writes. "They will have to answer 
for it to God, the just Judge." 



404 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

By his wife Mary, daughter of Charles V., Maximilian 
had sixteen children, of whom six sons and three daugh- 
ters lived to maturity. Rudolph and Matthias succeeded 
in turn to the Austrian dominions. Anne married Philip 
II. of Spain (her cousin and uncle), and Elizabeth mar- 
ried Charles IX. of France. 



RUDOLPH II., 1576-1612, eldest son of Maximilian II. and 
Mary of Spain. 

1592-1604. Repeated invasions by the Turks. 

Ferdinand of Styria, afterwards Ferdinand II., married l to 
Maria Anne of Bavaria. 

1603. Hungarian rebellion, headed by Stephen Botskai. 

1606. "The Family Treaty of Vienna," an agreement entered 
into by Matthias and Maximilian, brothers of Rudolph, 
and their cousins Ferdinand and Maximilian, of the 
Styrian Line, to force Rudolph to abdicate from the 
government of Austria and Hungary, on the score of 
his insanity. 

1609. Rudolph grants the " Magestats-Brief," an assurance of 
religious liberty to the Protestants. 

1611. Rudolph forced to resign the crown of Bohemia to his 
brother Matthias. 

Matthias married to Anne, daughter of Ferdinand of 
Tyrol. 

1612. Death of Rudolph at Prague. 

Rudolph's peculiarities amounted to insanity. He remained 
shut up in his palace at Prague for months at a time, re- 
fusing to see any one. He had a constant apprehension 
of assassination, was moody and at times violent. He took 
no interest in public affairs, but was an enthusiastic and 
discriminating collector of sculpture, paintings, minerals, 
coins and objects of natural history. 
Rudolph never married, though he entered into negotia- 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 405 

tions with a number of princely houses with that end in 
view. Marie de Medici, later wife of Henry IV. of 
France, was one of his projected brides. 

MATTHIAS, 1612-1619, son of Maximilian II. and Mary 
of Spain. 

1612. Matthias elected Emperor and crowned at Frankfort. 
1616. Ferdinand, Duke of Styria, cousin of Matthias, crowned 
King of Bohemia. 

1618. Assembly of Protestants at Prague, under the leadership 
of Count Thurn, to consider the recent suspension of Pro- 
testant worship in Bohemia. 

The " Defenestratio Pragensis." 

Arrest of Matthias's chief adviser, Cardinal Clesel, by order 

of Ferdinand. 

Outbreak of the Thirty Years War. 

1619. Ferdinand crowned King of Hungary. 
Death of Matthias. 

Matthias, having supplanted his brother Rudolph, was 
himself supplanted in turn by his cousin Ferdinand. He 
died, deserted by every one. By his wife Anne, daughter 
of Ferdinand of Tyrol, he had no issue. 

FERDINAND II., 1619-1637, son of Charles, Duke of Styria, 
and Maria of Bavaria. 

1619. Vienna besieged by the Protestant insurgents, under 
Count Thurn. 

Ferdinand sends his family to the Tyrol, and remains in 
the Hofburg. 

Count Thurn, obliged to raise the siege, retires to Prague. 
A Diet at Prague declares that Ferdinand has forfeited the 
crown of Bohemia, and elects Frederick, Elector Palatine 
of Bavaria, to succeed him. 
Ferdinand elected Emperor. 



406 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

1620. Battle of the White Mountain (November 8). The Bohe- 
mian revolt crushed. 
1622. Ferdinand married 2 to Eleanora Gonzaga of Mantua. 

1625. Wallenstein raises an army of fifty thousand men. 
Ferdinand's son crowned King of Hungary. 

1626. Death of Mansfeld at Zara. 

1629. "Edict of Restitution" (6th of March). A measure for 
the extermination of all Protestants. 

The Emperor induced to dismiss "Wallenstein and order 

the disbanding of his army. 

Suspension of the " Edict of Restitution." 

1630. Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden lands in Germany with a 
force of fifteen thousand men to aid the Protestants of 
Germany. 

1631. The King of Hungary married l to Maria Anna of 
Spain. 

Capture and sack of Madgeburg by the Imperialists, under 
Tilly and Pappenheim (20th of May) ; upwards of 
twenty thousand of the inhabitants massacred. 
Battle of Breitenfeld (or Leipsic) ; complete victory won 
by Gustavus Adolphus over Tilly aud Pappenheim (17th 
of September). 

1632. Death of Tilly. 
Wallenstein recalled. 

Battle of Liitzen (6th of November) ; defeat of the Im- 
perialists under Wallenstein. Gustavus Adolphus killed. 
1634. Wallenstein assassinated at Eger (25th of February). 

Battle of Nordlingen (6th o( September); decisive victory 
of the Imperialists, under the Emperor's son, the King of 
Hungary, afterwards Ferdinand III., over the Swedes. 

1636. The King of Hungary elected King of the Komans. 

1637. Death of Ferdinand, February 15. 

The entire reign of Ferdinand II. was distracted by relig- 
ious wars. Ferdinand's naturally tine qualities were per- 
verted by bigotry and intolerance. He was ruled by the 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 407 

Jesuits, and implacable in his hatred of his Protestant 
subjects. " Better a desert than a country full of here- 
tics," was his motto. 

Ferdinand left by his first wife, Maria Anne of Bavaria, 
two sons and two daughters : Ferdinand Ernest, who suc- 
ceeded him, Leopold William, who entered the Church, 
and at the age of fifteen had already received fifteen rich 
benefices, he was an art collector and the patron of Ten- 
iers; Mary, married to Maximilian of Bavaria; Cecelia, 
married to Ladislaus of Poland. By his second wife, 
Eleanora of Mantua, Ferdinand had no issue. 

FERDINAND III., 1637-1657, son of Ferdinand II. and Maria 
Anne of Bavaria. 

1612. Second battle of Leipsic; the Imperialists totally defeated 

by the Swedes under General Torstenson (November 2). 
1644-1648. Negotiations for peace. 

1645. Defeat of the Imperial army at Yankovitz by the Swedes 
under Torstenson (March 16). Vienna threatened. 

1646. Ferdinand, eldest son of the Emperor, made King of 
Bohemia. 

1647. Ferdinand, eldest son of the Emperor, crowned King of 
Hungary. 

1648. Surprise of the Little Town (Prague) by the Swedes. 
Siege of the Old Town (Prague), and final repulse of the 
Swedes (July 26 to October 25). 

The Peace of Westphalia signed August 6. End of the 
Thirty Years War. 
1033. Ferdinand, King of Hungary and Bohemia, chosen King 
of the Romans. 

1654. Death of the King of the Romans of small-pox. 

1655. Leopold, second son of the Emperor, chosen King of 
Hungary. 

1656. Leopold chosen King of Bohemia. 

1657. Death of the Emperor Ferdinand. 



408 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

The reign of Ferdinand III. fell in the most troubled 
period of the Thirty Years War. It was almost a succes- 
sion of disasters for Austria. At his death the Austrian 
dominions had not yet recovered from the laying waste, 
burning, pillaging and destruction of the recent campaigns, 
while the flower of the male population had been extermi- 
nated. 

Ferdinand had by his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain, 
two sons, Ferdinand, who predeceased him, and Leopold, 
who succeeded him, and a daughter, Maria, who married 
Philip IV. of Spain ; by his second wife, Maria Leopoldina, 
Ferdinand left a son, Charles Joseph ; by his third wife, 
Eleanora of Mantua (niece of his stepmother of the same 
name), he left two daughters. 

LEOPOLD L, 1657-1705, son of Ferdinand III. and Maria 

Anna of Spain. 
1658. Leopold elected Emperor and crowned at Frankfort. 
1660-1664. Invasions by the Turks. 
166-4. The Turks, defeated at Raab, conclude a treaty of peace for 

twenty years. 
1666. Leopold married to Margaret, Infanta (by the renunciation 

of her elder sister) of Spain. 
1671. Invasion of the Netherlands by Louis XIV. of France, 

who claimed them in right of his wife, who had been In- 
fanta of Spain. l 
1673-1679. Wars with France, Austria aiding Spain and the 

Netherlands. 

Rise of William of Orange. 
167S-16S7. Revolts in Hungary. 
1683. Invasion by the Turks: Vienna besieged: defended by 

Count Starhemberg; relieved by John Sobieski and the 

Duke of Lorraine, 
i She was the eldest daughter of Philip IV. of Spain, but on her marriage 
she and Louis had resigned all claim to the Spanish succession. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 409 

1687. Leopold's son Joseph crowned King of Hungary. 
1688-1697. Wars with France. Most of the European States 

combine against France. 
1690. Joseph elected King of the Komans. 
1697. Brilliant victory over the Turks, under the Sultan, at Zenta, 

by Prince Eugene (September 11). 

Peace of Carlovitz (November 14). Most of Hungary and 

Slavonia recovered, and Transylvania acquired from the 

Turks. 

1699. Joseph married to Princess Amelia of Hanover. 

1700. Death of Charles II. of Spain without issue. 

The Spanish Crown was now claimed by : 1. The Dauphin of 
France, afterwards Louis XV. ; 2. Ferdinand, electoral Prince of 
Bavaria ; 3. The Emperor Leopold — all of them descended from 
Philip and Joanna (Infanta of Spain), father and mother of the 
Emperors Charles V. and Ferdinand I. The King of Spain, four 
weeks before his death, had, under the influence of the Church, 
executed a will bequeathing the Spanish territories to the second 
son of the Dauphin, the Duke of Anjou. 

The Duke of Anjou proclaimed King of Spain with the 
title of Philip V. 

1701. Outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession. 

1702. Alliance between Austria, England and Holland against 
France. 

1703. Charles, second son of Leopold I. (afterwards the Emperor 
Charles VL), proclaimed King of Spain at Vienna. 
Outbreak of rebellion in Hungary, headed by Francis 
Ragotsky. 

1704. March of Marlborough from the Netherlands to Bavaria. 
Decisive victory over the French by the Allies under Marl- 
borough and Prince Eugene at Hochstiidt-Blenheim (the 
battle of Blenheim), August 15. 

1705. Death of the Emperor Leopold I. 

By his first wife, Margaret Theresa, Infanta of Spain (by 
the renunciation of her elder sister), Leopold had Maria 
Antonia, whose son, Ferdinand Joseph, was, until his death 



410 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

in 1701, a claimant for the Spanish dominions ; by his 
second wife, Claudia Felicitas of Tyrol, Leopold had no 
issue ; by his third wife, Magdalen Theresa of Neuburgh, 
he left two sons, Joseph and Charles, both of whom suc- 
ceeded, and three daughters. 



JOSEPH L, 1705-1711, eldest son of Leopold I. and Magdalen 
Theresa of Neuburgh. 

1706. Charles, younger brother of Joseph, married to Elizabeth 
of Brunswick. 

1707. Defeat of the Allies by the French, at Almanza, April 25. 
1709. Battle of Malplaquet; crushing defeat of the French by 

the Allies under Prince Eugene and Marlborough, July 9. 
1711. Conclusion of the Hungarian rebellion, and exile of Ba- 
gotsky. 

Death of the Emperor Joseph of small-pox (April 17). 
Joseph I. left by his wife, Amelia of Hanover, two 
daughters, who were obliged by their uncle, Charles VI., 
to renounce all claim to the Austrian succession. 

CHABLES VI., 1711-1740, son of Leopold I. and Magdalen 
Theresa of Neuburgh. 

1711. Charles elected Emperor. 
Crowned at Frankfort, December 22. 

1712. Crowned King of Hungary. 

Issues an edict of religious toleration. 
1711-1715. Peace negotiations. 

1713. Peace of Utrecht. (By this treaty Great Britain obtained 
Gibraltar and Minorca.) 

1714. Peace treaty of Bastadt. 

1715. Treaty of the Barrier ; end of the War of the Spanish Suc- 
cession. Philip V. is con tinned in the possession of Spain 
and the Indies, with the stipulation that the crowns oi 
France and Spain are never to be held by the same person. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 411 

1716. Campaign against the Turks. 
Prince Eugene victorious at Carlovitz. 

1717. Splendid victory of Prince Eugene over the Turks ; capture 
of Belgrade. 

The Quadruple Alliance between Austria, France, Great 
Britain and the Netherlands acceded to by Philip of 
Spain, and the treaty signed at the Hague, February 17. 

1720. Pragmatic Sanction published securing the Austrian suc- 
cession to the daughters of Charles VI. 

1736. Marriage of Maria Theresa, eldest daughter of Charles ,VL, 
and Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine, February 12. 
Death of Prince Eugene, April 20. 

1737-1739. Campaigns against the Turks; Austrian reverses. 
Belgrade, Servia and Wallachia ceded to the Turks, Sep- 
tember, 1739. 

1740. Death of the Emperor Charles VI., October 20. 

Charles was the fifteenth and last Emperor in direct male 
line of the House of Habsburg. By his wife, Elizabeth of 
Brunswick, he left two daughters, Maria Theresa, who 
succeeded him, and Maria Amelia, who married Prince 
Charles of Lorraine. 

MARIA THERESA, 1740-1780, daughter of Charles VI. and 
Elizabeth of Brunswick. 

1/40. Proclaimed Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. Her hus- 
band, Francis Stephen of Lorraine, proclaimed co-regent 
of Hungary. 

1741. Coronation of the Queen at Presburg, June 25. 
The Elector of Bavaria crowned King of Bohemia. 

1742. The Elector of Bavaria elected Emperor; crowned at 
Frankfort, February 12, with the title of Charles VII. 

1743. Bohemia recovered by Austria. 

Maria Theresa crowned Queen of Bohemia at Prague, 
May 12. 

1744. France declares war against Great Britain and Austria. 



412 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

1745. Death of the Emperor Charles VII., at Munich, January 20. 
Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine, husband of Maria 
Theresa, elected Emperor September 13 ; crowned at 
Frankfort, with the title of Francis I., October 4. 

1748. Treaty of peace signed at Aix la Chapelle, by France, 
England, Holland, Spain, Austria and Sardinia. 

1757. Grand Confederacy against Frederick the Great, King of 
Prussia. 

Breaking out of the Seven Years War. 
Prague besieged by the Prussians under Frederick. 
Victory of Kolin, won by the Austrians, under Field- 
Marshal Daun. Relief of Prague, May 14. 

1758. Victory of Hochkirchen, won by Daun over the Prus- 
sians. 

1759. Frederick totally defeated by the Russians, under Solti- 
koff, and the Austrians, under Loudon, August 12. 

1760. The war carried into Brandenburgh. 
Berlin taken by the Austrians and Russians. 
Archduke Joseph married ! to Isabella of Parma. 

1762. Revolution in Russia. Peter III. deposed ; his wife, 
Catharine II., placed on the throne. 

1763. Termination of the Seven Years War. 

Treaty of peace between Austria and Prussia, signed at 
Hubertsburgh, February 5. 

1764. Archduke Joseph elected King of the Romans. 

1765. Archduke Joseph married 2 to Josepha of Bavaria. 
Death of the Emperor Francis I., August IS. 
Archduke Joseph crowned Emperor. 

Archduke Leopold made Grand Duke of Tuscany. 
1770. Marriage of the Archduchess Marie Antoinette and the 

Dauphin of France. 
1772. The partition of Poland agreed upon by Prussia. Austria 

and Russia. Austria's share being a large part oi southern 

Poland, which was annexed under the names of Galicia 

and Lodomeria. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 413 

1778. France declares in favor of the American Colonies. 

The Austrian Court refuses to receive the American diplo- 
matic agents, and prohibits all commerce between the 
Netherlands and the revolting Colonies. 

1780. Visit of the Emperor Joseph to Catharine II. of Russia. 
Death of the Empress Maria Theresa, November 29. Her 
forty years' reign is considered the most glorious period in 
the history of Austria. At the age of twenty-three she suc- 
ceeded to dominions divided within and threatened from 
all sides without ; with an empty treasury, a depleted 
army, food alarmingly scarce, a ministry devoid of men 
of ability, and the Imperial sceptre lost to her house for 
the first time in three hundred years. At her death she 
left her son already Emperor, and in undisputed possession 
of a vast, prosperous and united State. By her husband, 
Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine — the Emperor Francis 
I. — she left four sons and five daughters. Joseph and Leo- 
pold both succeeded ; Ferdinand became Governor of Lom- 
bardy and Duke of Modena ; Maximilian was Grand Mas- 
ter of the Teutonic Order. 

JOSEPH II., 1780-1790, son of the Empress Maria Theresa and 
the Emperor Francis I. 

1781. Edict of Toleration, securing freedom of religious belief 
to all denominations. 

1782. Visit of Pope Pius VI., to remonstrate with Joseph regard- 
ing his reforms. 

1786. Death of Frederick the Great. 

1787-1790. Revolution in the Netherlands. 

Successful campaigns against the Turks. Brilliant vic- 
tories won by Marshal Loudon. 

1789. Outbreak of the French Revolution. 

1790. Disturbances in Hungary. 

Death of the Emperor Joseph, February 20. 

Joseph's career was full of disappointments. His great 



414 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

schemes of reform were ruined by his own ill-judgment, 
obstinacy and precipitancy in carrying them out ; and one 
after another he was obliged to abandon them all. By his 
wives, Isabella of Parma and Josepha of Bavaria, he left 
no issue. 

LEOPOLD II., 1790-1792, second son of Maria Theresa and 
Francis I. 

1790. Leopold crowned Emperor, October 9. 
Crowned King of Hungary, November 15. 

1791. Recovery of the Netherlands. 

1792. Death of the Emperor Leopold II., March 1. 
Leopold, in the course of his short reign, had succeeded in 
restoring peace to his distracted dominions, and had entered 
into an alliance with Prussia against France. By his wife, 
Maria Louisa of Spain, Leopold left fourteen children — ten 
sons and four daughters. Francis, the eldest son, succeeded. 

FRANCIS II., 1792-1S35, son of Leopold II. and Maria Louisa 
of Spain. 

1792. France declares war against Austria, April 20. 
Francis crowned Emperor at Frankfort. July 14. 

The Tuileries captured and Louis XVI. deposed and im- 
prisoned, August 10. 

Royalty abolished and the Republic proclaimed in France, 
September 21. 

1793. Louis XVI. guillotined, January 21. 

Grand alliance of the European Powers against France. 
Marie Antoinette guillotined, October 16. 
Second partition of Poland. 
1791. Kosciusko closes the gates of Cracow and declares the 
insurrection, March 3. 

Kosciusko defeated and taken prisoner by the Russians, at 
Maccowice, October 4. 

Battle of Fleurus. The Austrians, under Prince Coburg, 
badl v defeated by the French under General Jourdan June 26. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 415 

1795. Death of Robespierre, July 27. 

Prussia enters into a treaty of peace "with France. 

Battle of Loano. Great victory of the French, under 

Massena, over the Austrians, November 23. 

1796. Triumphant campaign of Napoleon Bonaparte in Italy. 
Victories of the Austrians, under Archduke Charles, on 
the Rhine. 

1797. Peace of Campo Formio concluded between France and 
Austria, October 17. 

1799. Second European alliance against France. 
Napoleon proclaimed First Consul, November 9. 

1800. Napoleon crosses the Alps and wins the victory of Marengo, 
June 14. 

Battle of Hohenlinden. The French win a decisive vic- 
tory over the Austrians, December 3. 

1801. Peace of Luneville concluded between France and Aus- 
tria, February 9. 

1803. Fresh outbreak of hostilities between France and England 
in May. 

1804. Napoleon proclaimed Emperor, May 18. 

The Emperor Francis II. assumes the title of Emperor 
of Austria (Francis I.), August 11. 

1805. Fresh alliance between the European Powers against France. 
Surrender of the Austrian forces, under General Mack, at 
L'lm, to Napoleon, October 20. 

Napoleon enters Vienna, November 13. 

Battle of Austerlitz. The Allies totally defeated by 

Napoleon, December 2. 

The Peace of Presburg concluded between Austria and 

France, December 26. 

1806. The Confederation of the Rhine (Rheinbund). 

Francis IT. abdicates as German Emperor, August 6. The 
end of tbe Holy Roman Empire. 
1808. A decree published by the Austrian Government, institut- 
ing a landicehr, or militia, by conscription, in June. 



416 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

1809. Fresh outbreak of hostilities between Austria and France. 
Rising in Tyrol against the French, headed by Andreas Hofer 
Battle of Eckmiihl. Archduke Charles completely de- 
feated by Napoleon, April 20. 

Battle of Ratisbon. Napoleon again defeats the Aus- 

trians, April 23. 

Napoleon's second occupation of Vienna, May 12. 

Battle of Aspern ; great victory, won by the Austrians, 

under Archduke Charles, over Napoleon, close to Vienna, 

May 21-22. 

Battle of Wagram. The Austrians completely defeated, 

July 5-6. 

Fresh outbreak in Tyrol. 

Peace of Vienna concluded, October 14. 

1810. Prince Clement Metternich becomes Chancellor of the 
Empire and Minister for Foreign Affairs. 

French victories in Tyrol. Andreas Hofer court-martialed 
and shot, February 20 v . 

Marriage of Napoleon and the Archduchess Marie Louise, 
March 17. 

1811. Birth of Napoleon, King of Rome. 

1812. Treaty of alliance between Austria, Russia, Prussia and 
Great Britain, and declaration of war against France, 
August 11. 

Successes of the Allies at Kulm, Jauer and elsewhere. 
1814. The Allies enter Paris, March 31. 

Abdication of Napoleon, April 4. 

Napoleon retires to Elba, April 20. 

Louis XVIII. makes his public entry into Paris, May 3. 

The Peace of Paris, May 30. 

Congress of Vienna opened on November 3. 
1S15. Napoleon escapes from Elba, February 26. 

"The Hundred Days." March 20-June 29. 

Battle of Waterloo, June 18 ; final overthrow of Napoleon. 
1816. Napoleon consigned to St. Helena, October 16. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 417 

1816. The "Holy Alliance" formed between Austria, Russia 
and Prussia. 

1821. Death of Napoleon, May 5. 

1830. Revolution in France. 

Charles X. abdicates in favor of his grandson, the Duke 
of Bordeaux, August 2. 

Louis Philippe, Duke of Orleans, proclaimed "King of 
the French," August 9. 

1832. Death of the Duke of Reichstadt, July 22. 

1835. Death of the Emperor Francis, March 2. 

Francis II. (I. of Austria) married J Elizabeth of Wurtem- 
berg, 1788 ; 2 Theresa of Naples, 1791 ; 3 Ludovica; * Char- 
lotte of Bavaria, 1816. He left by his second wife, Theresa 
of Naples, two sons : Ferdinand, who succeeded him, and 
Francis Charles, whose eldest son, Francis Joseph, suc- 
ceeded his uncle Ferdinand ; and three daughters,the eldest 
of whom, Marie Louise, married Napoleon Bonaparte. 

FERDINAND I. (of Austria), 1835-1848, eldest son of Francis II. 
and Theresa of Naples. 

1848. Louis Philippe abdicates in favor of his grandson, the 
Count of Paris, February. 
France proclaims the Republic. 
Outbreak of the revolution in Vienna, March 13. 
Prince Metternich resigns from office, March 17. 
Publication of the first Constitution, April 25. 
The Emperor and Court remove to Innspruck, May 17. 
Riots in Prague, June 12-17. 

Opening of the Constituent Diet in Vienna, June 26. 
Return of the Emperor to Vienna, August 8. 
Revolution in Hungary. Kossuth made head of the Com- 
mittee of National Defence, September. 
Murder of Count Latour, October 6. 
Imperial family leave Vienna, October 7. 
Vienna captured by the Imperial troops, October 31. 
27 



418 VIENNA AND THE VIENNESE. 

1S4S. The Emperor Ferdinand abdicates, December 2. 

FRANCIS JOSEPH, sue. 1848, son of Archduke Francis Charles 
and Princess Sophie of Bavaria. 

1849. Final defeat of the Hungarian revolutionists at Temesvar, 
August 8. 

1853. Attempt to assassinate the Emperor. 

1854. Marriage of the Emperor to Princess Elizabeth of Ba- 
varia, April 24. 

1S59. Outbreak of hostilities with Sardinia, May 20. 

Battle of Magenta; the Italians, under Garibaldi, defeat 
the Austrians, June 4. 

Battle of Solferino; the Italians again defeat the Aus- 
trians, June 25. 

Treaty of peace of Villafranca, July 11. Austria loses 
all her Italian possessions but Venice. 

1860. Promulgation of the nevr Constitution, October 21. 

1866. War with Prussia. 

Battle of Custozza; the Italians defeated by the Aus- 
trians, under Archduke Albert, June 24. 
Battle of Konig<:ratz, or Sadowa; completely 

defeated by the Prussians. July 3. 

Treaty of peace signed at Prague, August 23. Austria 
resigns Venice and withdraws from Italy. 
Hungary granted home rule. 

1867. The Emperor and Empress crowned King and Queen of 
Hungary at Pesth, June 8. 

Execution of Archduke Maximilian. Emperor of Mexico. 

1873. The Great Exhibition held at Vienna. 

1SS9. Suicide of Crown Prince Eudolph at Meyerling, Jan- 
uary 30. 

1898. Assassination of the Empress Elizabeth at Geneva. Sep- 
tember 10. 

Celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Emperor's 
accession. 



INDEX. 



Abrahamowicz, Ritter von, presi- 
dent of the Austrian House of 
Representatives, 65. 

Academy of the Fine Arts, 91. 

Act of Confederation of the Rhine, 
255. 

Adeli'ge Casino Club, 99. 

Albert I., Emperor, assassination 
of, 219. 

Albert II., Emperor, accession of, 
220. 
persecutes the Jews, 22. 

Albert, Archduke, wins the bat- 
tle of Custozza, 199. 
master of the art of military 
strategy, 200. 

Albert, Duke of Austria, brother 
of Emperor Frederick III., 220. 

Albert of Sachsen-Teschen, Duke, 
founder of the Albertina, 82. 

Albertina, the, 82. 

All Souls' Day, manner of observ- 
ing, 292. 

Allgemeines Krankenhaus, 352. 

Almonte, General, solicits aid of 
European powers to establish a 
monarchy in Mexico, 301. 

Amalienhof, the, 276. 

Amedeus, Duke of Aosta, at battle 
of Custozza, 200. 

Andrassy, Count of, frequents the 
Ring, 115. 

Apple hucksters, 134. 

Apples, abundance of, 23. 

Architectural beauties of the 
city, 7. 
changes in the city, 3. 

Architecture, Viennese, Madame 
de Stael on, 11. 

419 



Army, Austrian, origin of, 194. 
composition of early, 

195. 
its defects, 195. 
reorganization of, 197. 
law of recruitment, 197. 
efficiency of the cavalry, 

199. 
inferiority of the infantry, 
199. 
museum, 205. 
Art History Collections, 70. 
Aspern, battle of, 257, 276. 
Astrology, Wallensteiu's belief 

in, 211. 
Augsburg Gazette, 120. 
Augustin, street musician, 98. 
Augustiner Kirche, 295. 
Aulic Council, 222, 397 n. 
" Ausgleich," the, 64, 387. 
Austerlitz, battle of, 254. 
Austrian Courts, 240. 
Austrian Museum of Art and In- 
dustry, 102. 
Austrian soldier, the, bravery of, 
194. 
at Kceniggrsetz, 194. 
at Solferino, 194. 
Austria's future, 388. 
Avars, Finno-Hun?arian tribe, in 

early history of Austria, 215. 
Aviano, Marco, 180. 

Bach, Johann Sebastian, musical 
composer, 341. 

Badeni, Count, and the "Aus- 
gleich," 63. 

Ballet, manner of production of, 
96. 



420 



INDEX. 



Battle of Aspern, 257, 276. 
of Austerlitz, 254. 
of Custozza, 199. 
of Eckmiihl, 257. 
of Fleurus, 197. 
of Koeniggrsetz, 194. 
of Kolin,~2!»7. 
of Liitzen, 206, 209. 
of Solferino, 194. 
of Wagram, 257. 
of Waterloo, 263. 
of Zenta, 206, 232. 
Bauerle, Adolf, dramatist, 112. 
Beethoven, Ludwig von, early re- 
cognition of his genius by 
Mozart, 334. 
obstinacy of, as a child, 335. 
lack of sympathy between, 

and Haydn, 335. 
early straggles of, 336. 
his love affair with the Count- 
ess Theresa von Brunswick, 
337. 
Baron Tremout and, 344. 
death of, 346. 
Beethoven's "Immortal Beloved," 

339. 
Belvedere Galleries, 86. 
Black Bear, tavern, 105. 
" Blessing of the Wolves," reli- 
gious custom, 292. 
Blue Goat, tavern, 105. 
Bohemia, struggle for freedom 

and political status, 187, 38S. 
Bohemian musicians, 134. 
Bookbinding, specimens of, 103. 
Brahms, Johannes, musical direc- 
tor, 349. 
Brunswick, Theresa von, and 

Beethoven, 337. 
Brvce, James, 222, 256, 257. 
Buffon, Georges Louis Leclercde, 

French philosopher, 242. 
11 Bunch of Violets," painting, 83. 
Burg Kapell, the. 276. 
Burgthor, the. 79. 275. 
Butler, Colonel Walter, takes 
part in the assassination of 
Wallenstein, 210. 
" Butter-roll," 14S. 

Cabmen, strike of, 109. 

characteristics of, 110. 
Cabs, furnishings of, 109. 



Cafe Daum, 148. 
Cafe de 1'Europe, 148. 
Cafes Chantants, 97. 
Cafes, great number of, 140. 

popularity of, 146. 
Campo Fornio, peace of, 254. 
Canova, Antonio, Italian sculp- 
tor, 296. 
Caprara, Count Sylvanus, 180. 
" Captive Hare," painting, 84. 
Carlotta, wife of Maximilian, 

Emperor of Mexico, 302. 
Carriages, state, 78. 
Cathedral of St. Stephan, 13. 
Central Telegraph Office, 37. 
Charlemagne 'Charles I.), Em- 
peror, Austria part of his do- 
minions, 215. 
Charles II.. Kintr of England, 
edict of, closing coffee-houses, 
141. 
Charles IV., Emperor, introduces 
grape-vines from Burgundy, 
155. 
Charles V., Emperor, 222. 
Charles VI., Emperor, fondness 
of, fcr music, 93. 
artistic and antiquarian tastes 

of, 231. 
enforcement of court etiquette 

during reign of, 233. 
marriage and children, 336. 
Charles VII., Emperor, Elector of 

Bavaria. 220. 
Charles, Archduke, at the battle 
of Eckmiihl, 257. 
defeats Napoleon at Aspern, 
276. 
Charles, Duke of Lorraine, 178, 

298. 
Christmas Eve in the Hoher- 

Markt, 24. 
Ch Tomographic art, birth of, 

US. 
Church music, 311. 
Churches, Aimustines. 295, 311. 
Capuchins. 226. 229. 298, 
Maria Stiegen, 7, 36. 
Minorites, 312. 
St. Ulric, 226. 
Votif, 42. 
Civic Arsenal, 25. 
Claudia of Tyrol. Fm press, fond- 
ness of. for music. 93, 



INDEX. 



421 



Clesel, Cardinal, adviser to Em- 
peror Matthias I., 224. 
Coburg, Prince of, 197. 
Coffee, introduction of use of, into 

Vienna, 141. 
Coffee-houses, first, in London, 
140. 
in Marseilles, 140. 
Coffins, display of, in windows, 

135. 
Collot, Jacques, artist, 84. 
Commissionaires, licensed, 14. 
Congress of Vienna, 260, 380. 
Constitution, newspaper, first ap- 
pearance of, 120. 
Cornelius, Peter von, painter, 

340. 
Corpus Christi, Feast of, presence 
of reigning sovereign in 
procession, 228. 
ceremonies attending cele- 
bration of, 281. 
Corvinus, Matthias, King of Hun- 
gary, compares Vienna to 
a garden, 81. 
captures Vienna, 221. 
Court etiquette, during reign of 
Charles VI., 233. 
under Joseph II., 240. 
under Maria Theresa, 
239. 
Criminals, condemned, ancient 

customs in treatment of, 364. 
Cucchiari, Italian general, at 

battle of Custozza, 199. 
Custozza, battle of, 199. 
Czernin, Count, picture gallery 
of, 86. 

" D mce of Death," painting, 

85. 
Daniel of Lodomeria, 186. 
Danube, the, 185. 

a military route, 184. 
a highway for commerce, 185. 
Daun, General Leopold Joseph 
Maria von, defeats Fred- 
erick the Great at Kolin, 
297. 
gratitude of Maria Theresa 

to, 297. 
tomb of, 296. 
De Bombelles, Charles-Ren^, hus- 
band of Marie Louise, 383. 



De la Garde-Chambonas, Count, 
account of a visit of, to 
Schonbrunn, 380. 
author of Souvenirs of the 
Congress of Vienna, 260. 
De Ligne, Prince, 248, 251, 260. 
"Dead Crow," painting, 84. 
Decorations, personal, absence of, 

115. 
" Defenestratio Pragensis ," the, 

223. 
Delia Rocca, Italian general, at 

battle of Custozza, 199. 
Deutsche- Volks Theatre, 70. 
Die Gegenwart, 48, 50, 59. 
" Divine Comedy," copy of, in 

the Imperial Library, 27S. 
Dogs, fashionable breeds of, 115. 
Door tax. 137. 
Drill-ground, 193. 
Durando, Italian general, at battle 

of Custozza, 199. 
Durazzo, Jacques, Austrian am- 
bassador at Venice, 82. 
Diirer, Albrecht, collection of 

productions by, 83. 
Dwarfs, notable* wedding of, 36. 

Eckrauhl, battle of, 257. 

Eger, scene of the assassination 

of Wallenstein, 209. 
Eleanora of Mantua, a religious 
devote, 93. 
builds the Loretto chapel, 22S. 
Elizabeth, Empress, an expert 
horse-woman, 76. 
assassination of, 387. 
repugnance to the marriage 
of the Crown Prince, ^ Q. 
Engraving shops, 15. 
Erl.ich, Fisher von, architect, 

231. 
Esterhazy Keller, 152. 
Esterhazy, Prince Nicholas, pa- 
tron of Haydn, 326. 
Etienne, M." editor-in-chief of 

New Freie Presse, 123. 
Eugene, Prince of Savov, at the 
defeat of the Turks in 
16S3, 180. 
reli>< of, 206. 

public services of, during 
prevalence of the plague. 
231. 



3?< 



422 



INDEX. 



Eugene, Prince of Savoy, mili- 
tary talents of, 232. 
statue of, 275. 
Export Academy, 103. 
Export trade, efforts to promote, 
103. 

Fabricius, Philip, attempted 

murder of, 224. 
" Feast of the Rosary," painting, 

83. 
Feldmann, Siegmund, 48, 50, 

59. 
Ferdinand I., Emperor of Aus- 
tria, accession of, 265. 
unfitness to govern, 265. 
grants a constitution, 273. 
lees to Innspruck, 273. 
abdicates, 274. 
Ferdinand II., Emperor, gives 
control of the University 
of Vienna to the Jesuits, 44. 
dismisses Wallenstein, 208. 
recalls Wallenstein to com- 
mand the Imperial army, 
209. 
religious devotions of, 277. 
institutes annual pilgrimage 
to the estate of Herrnals, 
292. 
Ferguson, James, 43. 
Ferstel, Heinrich von, architect, 

42, 45. 
Financial panic (1873), 40. 
Fires, manner of locating, 177. 
"Fire- Watch," station of, in St. 

Stephan's tower, 177. 
Fleurus; battle of, 197. 
Food, good, difficult for foreign- 
ers to procure, 155. 
Fortifications, destruction of, 5. 
Fortune-teller, adventure of 
Duke of Richelieu and Count 
of Zinzendorf with. 100. 
Francis I., Holv Roman Em- 
peror 220, 239. 
personal traits of, 299. 
tomb of, 298. 
Francis II., last Holy Roman 
Emperor, accession of, 253. 
his disinclination for work, 

253. 
assumes title of Emperor of 
Austria, 254. 



Francis II., joins alliance against 
France, 254. 
abdication of, 255. 
death of, 263. 

his reputation as a ruler, 264. 
monument to, 276. 
Francis Joseph, Emperor, at- 
tempted assassination of, 
43. 
popular veneration for, 279. 
succeeds his uncle, 274. 
"Frankfurt sausages," 134. 
Franz Josephs drill - ground, 

104. 
Franzens Platz, the, 276. 
Frederick I., Barbarossa, Em- 
peror, agreement between, and 
Henry " Jasomirgott," 21'S. 
Frederick II., Emperor, 44, 216. 
Frederick III., Emperor, 221. 
Frederick Augustus, elector of 

Saxony, 230. 
Frederick II., the Great, King 
of Prussia, on the infallibility 
of the Pope, 27. 
French language, prevalent use 

of, 106. 
Fruit shops, comparison of, with 

those of Paris, 135. 
Fuchs, Joseph, bandmaster, 94. 
Furst, mimic, V7. 

Galicia, vicissitudes of, 1S6. 
Gambetta, M., 115. 
Game, cheapness of, 23. 
Garde-Chambonas. Comte de la, 
Souvenirs of the Congress 
of Vienna, 260. 
visits the King of Rome at 
Sehonbrunn, 380. 
Gardens. 80. 

" Gerard de Ronssillon," copies 
of, in the Imperial Library. 278. 
" Gerusalemme Conqnistata," 
copy ot\ in the Imperial Li- 
brary, 278. 
Girardin, Emile de, inventor of 

a printing press, 121. 
Glacis-Gruende, the. 4. 
Glassware, iridescent. 103. 
Gluci and H<iyJ)i, 331, 332. 
Gluck, Christopher Willibad, 
musical composer, 330. 
j Gold Peacock, tavern, L05. 



INDEX. 



423 



Goldsmiths' work, specimens of, 

102. 
Gordon, John, participates in the 
assassination of Wallenstein, 
210. 
Government Printing Office, old, 

118. 
Graben, the, 14. 
Grand Hotel, the, 99. 
Gustavus II., Adolphus, King of 
Sweden, invades Austria, 
20S. 
killed at the battle of Liitzen, 

206. 
relies of, 206. 

" Habsburg lip," the, 93, 394. 

Haefner, Leopold, editor of the 
Constitution, 120. 

Hansen, Christian Fredrik, ar- 
chitect, 56. 

Hares, abundance of, 23. 

Harrach, Count, picture gallery 
of, S6. 

Hasenauer, Freiherr von, archi- 

Haweis, H. R., 331, 332. 
Haydn, Joseph, birth and early 
training of, 325. 
friendship for Mozart, 324. 
number of works, 326. 
last davs of, 327. 
death of, 329. 
Heinrichshof, the, 99. 
Henry " Jasornirgott," Duke of 

Austria, 215. 
Henry VII. (of Luxemburg), 

suspicious death of, 220. 
Hildegarde, Saint, Psalter of, in 

the Imperial Library, 278. 
Historical Museum, 51. 
History of Architecture, James 

Ferguson, 43, 80. 
Hof, the, 25. 
Hof burg, the, 214, 275. 
H.»f burg Theatre, 53. 
Hofer, Andreas, Tyrolese patriot, 

51, 97, 189. 
Hofgarten, the, 79. 
" Hof'opern Orchester," excel- 
lence of, 96. 
Hoher-Markt, the, 23. 
Holbein, Hans (the younger), 

German painter, 85. 



Holmes, Edward, 316. 

Holy Roman Empire, end of, '255. 

Horticultural Society building, 

102. 
Hotel Imperial, 99. 
Hotels, notable names of, 105. 
House of Detention, 357. 
Hucksters, vegetable, 134. 
Hugo, Victor, poem, "Napoleon 

II.," 383. 
Humbert, Prince, participates in 

battle of Custozza, 200. 
Hungary, an independent mon- 
archy, 186. 
Maximilian I. assumes title 

of king of, 221. 
granted home rule, 387. 
Hunyade, John, 186. 
Hurst, C. B., consul-general, 104. 
Huss, John, religious reformer, 

187. 

"II Porno d'Oro," notable pro- 
duction of opera of. 92. 

Immaculate Conception, monu- 
ment commemorative of the 
dogma of, 228. 

Imperial Arsenal, 201. 
Court, 222. 
Library, 227. 
pawn office, 370. 
stables, 75. 

"Incunabula" in Imperial Li- 
brary, 278. 

In Vienna in the Mad Year, 270, 
271. 

Industrial Art School, 103. 

Inhabitants, character of, 9. 

Inner Burtrhof, the, 276. 

Innocent XIII., Pope, 206. 

Isabey, paints a portrait of the 
little King of Rome, 380. 

Italians, proportion of, in popula- 
tion of Austria, 10. 

Ivory carvings, 102. 

Jerome of Prague, disciple of 

Huss, 187. 
Jewish family, morality of, 21. 
houses, squalid interior of, 

19. 
money-lenders, 20. 
quarter, 17. 
second-hand dealers, 18. 



424 



INDEX. 



Jewish shops, 18. 

Jews, emancipation of, 22. 

proportion of, in the profes- 
sions, 21. 
Joseph I., Emperor, accession of, 
229. 
dies of small-pox, 230. 
Joseph II., Emperor, accession 
of, 240. 
story of portrait of, 12. 
adventure in the Hoher- 

Markt, 24. 
treatment of Pope Pius VI., 

26. 
decrees of, relating to studies 
in the University of Vi- 
enna, 45. 
decree of, naming the Ger- 
man National Theatre, 53. 
orders sale of the " Feast of 

the Rosary," 83. 
modifies court etiquette, 

240. 
promotes industrial interests 

of Vienna, 240. 
prevents increase in the price 

of meat, 241. 
travels incognito, 242. 
visits Buffon, 242. 
visits Duke of Wurtemberg, 

243. 
abolishes serfdom, 245. 
simple habits of, 246. 
private sorrows of, 249. 
death of. 251. 
statue of, 277. 
Josephine, the Empress, aids to 
bring about marriage of Napo- 
leon Bonaparte to Marie Louise, 
258. 
" Josephine," name of bell in St. 

Stephan's tower, 177. 
Journalists' Society, 130. 
Juosdonowich, General, 197. 

Kaiserlichen, the, 197. 
Kara-Mustapha, Grand Vizier of 

Turkev, besieges Vienna, 

141. 
relies of, 52, 79. 
Kellers, 152. 
Kelly, Michael, his account of 

the first production of " Le 

Nozze di Figaro,'' 313. 



Kelly, Michael, his first meeting 

with Mozart, 321. 
Kceniggrsetz, battle of, 194. 
Kolin, battle of, 297. 
Kollenitz, Cardinal, 53. 
Kolonicz, Bishop Leopold, 181. 
Kolowratring, the, 99. 
Kuhn, Baron, 199. 
Kiihn, Dr. Josef, originator of the 

People's Kitchen Associations, 

365. 
Kulczycki, Georges, founder of 

the first coffee-house in Vienna, 

141. 
Kuranda, Antoine, story of, 113. 
Kursalon, the, 100. 

Lampi, portrait painter, 342. 
Landsturm, the, 198. 
Latin Quarter, 49. 
Latour, Count Theodor von, as- 
sassination of, 33. 
"Laufende," transient visitors at 

cafes or wine-shops, 150. 
Laundry girls, 134. 
Lecher,Pr., twelve-hour speech 

of, in Parliament, 64. 
" Leda with the Swan," paint- 
ing, 83. 
Legend of the " Stock im Eisen," 
157. 
of the "White Lady," 280. 
" Le Nozze di Figaro," first pro- 
duction of, 313. 
Leopold L, Emperor, musical 
tastes of, 92. 
and the siege of Vienna. 178. 
ingratitude of, to John Sobi- 

eski. 181. 
replaees monument com- 
memorative of the dogma 
of the Immaculate Coneep 
fcion, 228. 
religious devotions of, 277. 
Leopold II., Emperor, short reign 

of. 253. 
Leopold the Just. 44. 
Leslie, Major Walter, partici- 
pates in assassination of Wal- 
lenstein, 210. 
Libenyi, Joseph, assaults Em- 
peror Francis Joseph. 43. 
Lihussa, Queen of Bohemia, 
relies of, 205. 



INDEX. 



425 



Liechtenstein, Count, picture gal- 
lery of, 86. 

Life of Haydn, 328. 

Life of Mozart, 316. 

Ligne, Prince de, at the deathbed 
of the Emperor Joseph 11., 
248, and the Congress of 
Vienna, 260, 261. 
epitaph on the Emperor 
Joseph II., 251. 

Lindenau, General, 257. 

Liquor-shops, scarcity of, 154. 

Liszt, Franz, Hungarian musi- 
cian, 348. 

Literary heroes, veneration shown 
by Germany for, 92. 

Lobkowitz Palace, 86. 

Lobkowitz, Prince Wenceslaus 
Eusebius, 86. 

Lopez, General, betrays Emperor 
Maximilian of Mexico, 306. 

Loretto Chapel, 295. 

Lotteries, public, 139. 

Lottery, superstitious belief in, 
293. 

Loudon, Marshal, hat of, 51. 

Louis XVL, King of France, 
declares war against Austria, 
253. 

Louis of Baden, margrave, 180. 

Louis of Brandenburg, 189. 

Luccheni, assassin of Empress 
Elizabeth, 387. 

Luneville, peace of, 254. 

Liitzen, battle of, 209. 
relics of, 206. 

V 

Mack, General, relic of, 205. 
Magyars, proportion of, in popu- 
lation of Austria, 10. 
Mail, official tampering with, 2. 
Marbacher, Erhard, character in 
the legend of the " Stock im 
Eisen," 157. 
Marcus Aurelius Strasse, 25. 
Margaret of Austria, 189. 
Maria Christina, Archduchess, 

82, 206. 
Maria Stiegen, church of, archi- 
tectural features of, 36. 
marriage of dwarfs at, 36. 
Maria Theresa, accession of, 238. 
enlarges the University of 
Vienna, 45. 



Maria Theresa, devotion to her 
husband, 299. 
difficulties encountered bv, 

239. 
modifies court etiquette, 239. 
gratitude of, to General 

Daun, 297. 
institutes Order of Maria 

Theresa, 298. 
death of, 300. 
monument to, 75. 
tomb of, 298. 
Marie Louise, Empress, her pos- 
session of the " Habsburg 
lip " pleases Napoleon, 93. 
at Schonbrunn, 378. 
connection with Count Neip- 

perg, 379, 383. 
learns of Napoleon's escape 

from Elba, 382. 
marries Charles - Rene de 

Bombelles, 383. 
tomb of, 300. 
Mark Twain, 64, 131. 
Markt Platz, inscription con- 
cerning, 25. 
Martinitz, Councilor, attempted 

murder of, 223. 
Martyrdom of an Empress, 280. 
Mary of Burgundy, 221. 
Matrimonial advertisements, 127. 

agencies, 127. 
Matthias I., Emperor, 223. 
Matthias II. Emperor, tomb of, 

298. 
Maximilian I., Emperor, 221. 
Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico, 
42. 
departs for Mexico, 304. 
receives oath of office, 303. 
execution of, 307. 
relics of, 78. 
tomb of, 301. 
Maximilian Platz, 42. 
Meerschaums, carved, 103. 
Meinhard III., 189. 
Memoirs of the Comte de la 

Garde, 381. 
Menger, Professor, 63. 
Metestasio, musical composer, 94. 
Metternich, Prince Clement Wen- 
zel, 2. 
on the condition of Austria 
in 1807, 254. 



426 



INDEX. 



Metternich, Prince, negotiates ' 
marriage of Napoleon to J 
Marie Louise, 258. 
on the Congress of Vienna, 

261. 
ascendency over Ferdinand 

I., 265. 
endeavors to alienate Marie 
Louise from Napoleon, 379. 
resigns, 271. 
Metternich, Princess, interview 

of, with Josephine, 258. 
Michaelis Platz, the, 278. 
" Milk-roll," 148. 
Milk-wornen, 136. 
Miramon, General, solicits aid of 
European powers to establish a 
monarchy in Mexico, 301. 
Modern improvements, 3. 
Montepulciano, Bernard di, be- 
lieved to have poisoned Henry 
VII., 220. 
" Moonlight Sonata," Beeth- 
oven's, 340. 
Mozart, Johann Chrysostom 
Wolfgang Amadeus, birth 
and childhood of, 317. 
Beethoven early recognizes 

his genius, 334. 
first production of bis " Le 

Nozze di Figaro," 313. 
marries Constance Weber, 

321. 
friendship for Haydn, 324. 
death of, 323. 
Murska, Mademoiselle, 312. 
Musical Celebrities of Vienna, 

350. 
Musicians, Bohemian, 134. 
Mux, Greth, character in the 
legend of the " Stock im j 
Eisen," 158. 
Mux, Martin, character in the 
legend of the " Stock im 
Eisen," 159. 

Naples, Queen Caroline of, 379. 
Napoleon I., Emperor of the 
French, 93. 
attempted assassination of, 

377. 
makes his headquarters at 

Schonbrunn, 231, 257, 375. . 
proclaimed Emperor, 254. 



Napoleon I., in Vienna (1805), 
254. 

(1809), 257, 375. 
wins battle of Austerlitz,254. 
defeated at Aspern, 257. 
marries Marie Louise, 259, 

378. 
Metternich learns of his es- 
cape from Elba, 262. 
dies at St. Helena, 383. 
Napoleon II. (Duke of Beich- 
stadtj, " King of Borne," 
birth of, 259. 
dies at Schonbrunn, 383. 
portrait of, by Isabey, 381. 
Napolecn III., Emperor, fondness 
of, for pheasants. 24. 
his Mexican policy, 301, 305. 
Native wines, number of, 155. 
Natural History Museum, 70. 
Neumann, Abbe, inscription by, 

on statue of Joseph II., 277. 
Keue Freie Presse, 123. 
Neu Description of Vienna, 44. 
Newspapers, stamp duty upon, 

131. 
Notes, currency, destruction of, 
119. 

O'Conor-Eccles, C, 356. 
O'Donnel, aide-ile-camp to Fran- 
cis Joseph, 43. 
Old Age Homes. 371. 
Old Age flumes tti Vienna, 372. 
Old Rathhaus, the, 35. 
Omnibuses, 113. 
Onion hucksters, 134. 
Opera, cost of bringing out a new, 

94. 
Opera House, 92. 

exterior of, 94. 
interior of, 95. 
number of employes of,96 
''Opera of the people," ^7. 
Order of Maria Theresa, institu 

tion of. 298. 
Ostmark, the, 215. 
Otakar II.. King of Bohemia, 
fortifies Vienna, 4. 
his stru<rirle with the Em 
peror Rudolph. 219. 
Otho II.. Emperor, grants the 
Ostmark to the house of Babeu 
burg, 215. 



INDEX. 



427 



Outer Burg Platz, 275. 
Out-of-door life, 133. 

Palace of Justice, 70. 
Parliament, character of mem- 
bers of, 60. 
system of representation in, 
62. 
Parliament Houses, architectural 
features of, 56. 
arrangement of interior, 59. 
" Parseval," copy of, in the Im- 
perial Library, 278. 
Passion PJay, 292. 
Patin, Dr. Gui, on life in Vienna, 

9. 
Peace of Campo Fornio, 254. 
of Luneville, 254. 
of Pressburg, 254. 
of Vienna, 257. 
Pears, abundance of, 23. 
People's Kitchen Associations, 

365. 
Pezzl, Jean, 44. 

Pfeiffer, Madame Ida, MSS. col- | 
lected by, in the Imperial Li- 
brary, 278. 
Pheasants, abundance of, 23. 
Photograph shops, 15. 
Pius VI., Pope, visits Vienna, 26. ; 
Plague, the, 231. 
Podiebrad, George, King of Bo- 

hernia, 221. 
Poles, the, in Galicia, 187. 
Political outlook of the Empire, 
191. 
party divisions, 61. 
Pork, ommon use of, 134. 
Pork-merchants' windows, com- 
parison of, with those of Paris, 
134. 
Portier, clever trick upon a, 137. 
Portiers, dress of, 136. 
" Poummerin," nickname of bell 

in St. Stephan's tower, 177. 
" Poustas," Hungarian steppes, 

185. 
" Powdered sugar-roll," 148. 
Prague, siege of, 297. 
Press laws, 130. 

Press, Vienna, blackmail prac- 
ticed bv, 125. 
censorship of, 120, 130. 
development of, 120. 



Press, Vienna, French efforts to 
influence, 123. 
influence of, 124. 
Prussian influence on, 
124. 
Pressburg, peace of, 183, 254. 
P reuse, 121. 
Prorok, N. E., 191. 
Prussian spy system, 203. 

Races, variety of, in the Austrian 
Empire, 190. 

" Raisin-roll," 148. 

Rathhaus, the, 49. 
the old, 35. 

Rathhaus Park, 49. 

Reichshofrath, the, 222. 

Reichstadt, Duke of. See Napo- 
leon II. 

Rembrandt, Paul, Dutch painter, 
82. 

Restaurants, classes of, 155. 

Rheinbund, the, 255. 

Richelieu, Duke of, adventure of, 
with a fortune-teller, 100. 

Richter, Hans, musical director, 
96. 

Richter, Joseph, on temperament 
of the Viennese, 8. 

Rieger, Professor, 44. 

Ring, the, 5, 113. 

Ring Theatre, burning of the, 41. 

Rittersaal, the, 276. 

Rodich, Baron, 199. 

Romans in early history of Vi- 
enna, 215. 

Roumanians, proportion of, in 
population of Austria, 10. 

Rudolph I., Emperor, founder of 
the house of Habsburg, 4. 
succeeds Conrad IV., 217. 
anecdote of, 217. 

Rudolph II., Emperor, 83, 195. 

Rudolph IV., Duke, 44, 176, 220. 

Rudolph, Crown Prince, marries 
Princess Stephanie, 384. 
mystery of his death, 385. 

Rummel, tutor to Joseph L, en- 
deavors to circumvent the 
Jesuits, 229. 

Ruthenians, the, 186. 

Saeher-Masoch, author of Golden 
Calf, 40. 



428 



INDEX. 



Sachs, W. von, 350. 

Saddles, historic, 78. 

Saint Hildegarde, Psalter of, in 
the Imperial Library, 278. 

St. Stephan, cathedral of, 13. 

St. Stephan's tower, description 
of, 176. 
" Fire- Watch " in, 177. 
historic bell in, 177. 
Count Starhetn berg's 
vigil in, during siege 
of Vienna, 178. 
view oi surrounding 
country from summit 
of, 183. 

Salm, Prince of, 180. 

Salvatorgasse, 36. 

Sandor, Count of, 111. 

Sausages, 1.S4. 

Schiller, Johann Christoph 
Friedrich von, poet, 92, 196. 

Schmidt, Friedrich, architect. 40. 

Schonborn, Count, picture gallery 
of, 86. 

Sehonbrunn, 374. 

Schottenring, the, 39. 

Schroeder, Friedrich Ludwig, 
theatrical manager, 54. 

Schubert, Franz Peter, composer, 
347. 

" Schusterbub." street Arabs, 136. 

Schwarzenberg Plate, 99. 

" Schweizerhof/' the, 276. 

Sedan-ohairs, use of, 113. 

Sellers, Edith. 270, 367, 372. 

Sellier, Joseph, theatrical mana- 
ger, 63. 

Seni, Giovanni, astrologer, 211. 

Sesti, composer, 92. 

Shops, odd names of, 105. 

Sicardsbtirgh, architect, 04. 

Sina, Baron, palace of, 25. 

Singer Strasse, 118. 

Slavs, proportion of, in popula- 
tion of Austria, 10. 

Slawata, Councilor, attempted 
murder of, 223. 

Sleighs, state. 78. 

Small-pox, former treatment of, 
230. 

Sobieski, James Louis, knight- 
hood conferred upon, ISO. 

Sobieski, John III., King of Po- 
land, 141, 178. 



Sobieski, John, ingratitude of 

Leopold I. to, 181. 
Solferino, battle of, 194. 
"Spanish Pveverence," the. 234. 
modified by Joseph II., 

240. 
modified bv Maria The- 
resa, 239. 
Spring season in Vienna, 175. 
Stables, Imperial, 75. 
Stadtpark, 99. 
Stael, Madame, on Viennese 

architecture, 11. 
" Stammgaste," habitues of cafes 

and wine-shops, 150. 
Starhemberg, Count Ernest Eii- 
di'_ r '-r, defends Vienna against 
the Turks. 141, 178. 
Steinmetz, General, on bravery 

of Austrian soldiers, 104. 
Stephana Platz, 14. 
Steppes, Hungarian, 185. 
Stock Exchange, 30. 
" Stock im Eisen," legend of the, 

157. 
Strauss, Edward, musical di- 
rector, 351. 
Strauss, Johann, musical com- 

poser, 
Street Arahs. 136. 
cleaners, 108. 

paving, excellence of, 10S. 
placards, 130. 
scenes, 107. 
singers, 3. 
types, 134. 
Streets, method of cleaning, 108. 
Stnben Brucke, 99. 

Suess, Professor. 
Siihuhaus, the. 41. 
Sunday in Vienna, 300. 
Swieten, Geraard van, physician, 

44. 
Symonds, John Addington, " . 

Tasso, Torqnato, Italian epic 

poet, 278. 
Tegetthoff, Admiral Wilhelm 

von, 100, 307. 
Tenger, Mariam. 339. 
Thausing, M., director of the Al- 

hertina. S4. 
" The Tab-driver Marquis." plav 

of, 112. 



INDEX. 



429 



TJie Holy Roman Empire, James 

Bryce, 222, 256, 257. 
The Life of Benvenuto Cellini, J. 

A. Symonds, 73. 
The Lives of Haydn and Mozart, 

Quarterly Review, 326. 
The Martyrdom of an Empress, 

44. 
" The Theatre that is near the 

Bur?," 54, 
Theseus, statue of, 79. 
Thirty Years' War, origiu of, 

225. 
Three Rabbits, tavern, 105. 
Thurn, Count Matthias, 223. 

besieges Vienna, 226. 
Tinmen, Slav, 134. 
Titian, Venetian painter, 83. 
Town Hall, 49. 
Tremont, Baron, and Beethoven, 

344. 
Trollope, Frances, her estimate 
of Francis II., 264. 
description of religious cere- 
mony on Maunday Thurs- 
day, 285. 
on passion of the Viennese 

for waltzing, 351. 
account of reception held by 
a condemned murderer, 
364. 
Tulips, introduced into Vienna 

from Holland, 81. 
Tyrol, the, 189. 
Tyrolese singers, 97. 
Tyrolese songs, 189. 

Uchatius, General, career of, 201. 
simplicity of living quarters 

of, 202. 
invention of gun by, 203. 
University of Vienna, founding 
of, 44. 
architectural features of, 

45. 
dedication of, 48. 
University students, characteris- 
tics of, 119. 

Van der Null, architect, 94. 
Vegetable shops, comparison of, 

with those of Paris, 135. 
Vehese, author of Austrian 

Courts, 240. 



Vienna and the Austrians, 

Frances Trollope, 264, 291. 
" Vienna bakeries," success of, 

in the United States, 63. 
" Vienna Chapel," the, 228. 
Vienna, Congress of, 260, 380. 
Vienna Gazette, 120. 
Vienna, besieged by Count Mat- 
thias Thurn, 226. 
by the Swedes, 228. 
by the Turks, 178. 
in possession of the French, 

183. 
peace of, 257. 
Vienna, early history of, 215. 
trade with the East, 216. 
Vienna rolls, 147. 

varieties of, 148. 
"Vienna sausages," 134. 
Viennese men, characteristics of, 
117. 
women, characteristics of, 
117. 
"Ville," the old city, 6. 
Villemot, 137. 
Vincent, J. M., on Austrian press 

laws, 130. 
Violets, festival of the, 81. 
Viragos, market, 24. 
Volksgarten, 79. 
Von Gentz, Frederick, on the 

Congress of Vienna, 261. 
Von Salm, Nicholas, 223. 

Wagram, battle of, 257. 
Waiter, evolution of the, 146. 
Wallenstein, Albrecht von, Duke 
of Friedland, reorganizes- 
the Imperial army, 195. 
military genius of, 208. 
dismissed, 208. 
restored to power, 209. 
belief of, in astrology, 211. 
assassinated, 211. 
War Office, 27. 
Waring, Colonel George E., on 

street cleaning, 108. 
Waterloo, battle of, 263. 
Weber, Aloysia, her love affair 

with Mozart, 321. 
Weber, Constance, her marriage 

to Mozart, 321. 
Wenceslaus, King of Bohemia, 
187. 



430 



INDEX. 



White Lady, legend of the, 282. 
William, Archduke, palace of, 

102. 
Wimpffen, Countess of, 38. 
Windischgratz, Prince, appointed 

military governor of Vienna, 

272. 
Wine, habitual use of, 155. 
Wine-shops, 151. 
Winter fetes, 99. 
Wipplinger Strasse, 35. 
" Wirthshausbriider," habitues of 

wine-shops, 150. 



Wollzeile, the, 120. 
Wurtemburg, Duke of, hospitali- 
ty ot; to Joseph II., 243. 
Wuttke, Professor, 124. 

Zansr, M., founder of the Presse, 

121. 
Zeidlitz, poet, 149. 
Zinzendorf, Nikolaus Ludwig, 

Count of, adventure of, 100. 
Zizka, John, Hussite leader, 

187. 



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